October Is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October Is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Domestic Violence Awareness Month had its origins in the first Day of Unity observed in 1981 by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV).

The purpose of that first Day of Unity was to connect advocates working on behalf of battered women and their children.  The day grew into a week, and then in 1987 the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed.

The US Congress passes Public Law 101-112 designating October of 1989 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and similar legislation has passed ever year since then.

The Day of Unity continues to be observed the first Monday of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

In 1994, the NCADV and Ms. Magazine created the “Remember My Name” project – a national registry of women killed by an intimate partner.  The NCADV continues to collect names of women killed due to domestic violence, and produces a poster each year for Domestic Violence Awareness Month listing those names.

According to the 2011 Presidential Proclamation announcing Domestic Violence Awareness Month,

During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we recognize the significant achievements we have made in reducing domestic violence in America, and we recommit ourselves to the important work still before us.  Despite tremendous progress, an average of three women in America die as a result of domestic violence each day.  One in four women and one in thirteen men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.  These statistics are even more sobering when we consider that domestic violence often goes unreported.

Activities that take place during the month include commemorations of those who have died, celebrations honoring survivors of domestic violence, and gatherings of those who work to end the violence.

Friends and families of victims wear a purple ribbon in honor of their loved ones.  The “Purple Light Nights” campaign asks residents and businesses to hang purple lights during October to send the message that “Domestic Violence has NO place in our community.”

The Memphis Area Women’s Council, the Erase Domestic Crime Collaborative, United Way, and the University of Memphis SHRM are sponsoring a conference on October 25 on how employers and co-workers can make a difference in the lives of employees and colleagues who are experiencing domestic violence.

The Women’s Council website lists a number of other domestic violence awareness events, including the following:

• Sept. 27 — Healing Homes training on domestic violence specifically designed for the faith-based community
• Sept. 28-29 — 2nd annual “Time to Heal” retreat for female survivors of domestic violence
• Oct. 3 — Blueprint for Safety conference, “Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence Cases”
• Oct. 10 — Press conference to announce public launch of Shelby County’s federally-funded Defending Childhood initiative
• Oct. 20 — 6th annual Ashley Scott Memorial 5K Walk/Run; proceeds for abused women’s services in Memphis and Shelby County.
• Oct. 20 — YWCA Greater Memphis Purple Reign Ball fundraiser
• Oct. 27 — Public event showcasing Defending Childhood Initiative partners and the coordinated care available for children exposed to violence at home, school or community.

More information is available at the following links:

• The Domestic Violence Awareness Project (2012): //www.nrcdv.org/dvam/
• The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (2012): //www.ncadv.org/takeaction/DomesticViolenceAwarenessMonth.php

Miles Mason, Sr. practices family law exclusively and is founder of the Miles Mason Family Law Group, PLC, in Memphis, Tennessee. To learn more about him see Miles Mason, Sr.’s professional biography.