Recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Floor Speech

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Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of October as
Domestic Violence Awareness Month and to reaffirm our commitment to
ending domestic violence in this country.

Established 24 years ago, Domestic Violence Awareness Month exists to
raise awareness across the country regarding the prevalence of domestic
violence and opportunities for victims. Americans of any gender, age,
religious group, neighborhood, income level, and racial or ethnic
background are at risk.

The statistics are simply staggering. Every minute, nearly 20 people
in the United States are physically abused by an intimate partner--
amounting to more than 10 million women and men in the United States a
year. Horrifically, one in three women will experience an incident of
domestic violence, while one in four men have been victims of some form
of physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.
Daily, more than 20,000 calls are placed to domestic violence hotlines
nationwide. This epidemic has far-reaching consequences in our
communities; domestic violence is the third-leading cause of
homelessness among families, and over 10 million children are exposed
every year.

A key step in working toward ending domestic violence in this country
is to increase awareness, engagement, and education surrounding this
issue. To this end, we are fortunate to have the efforts of exemplary
organizations, including South Shore Women's Resource Center, The
Women's Fund of Southeastern Massachusetts, We Can, and Cape Cod Center
for Women, working to provide stability, shelter, and safety for
victims of domestic violence throughout my district and the
Commonwealth. Similarly, Jane Doe Inc. promotes a simple yet critical
message: men are essential partners in the fight to end domestic
violence and sexual assault against women. Jane Doe Inc.'s White Ribbon
Campaign has proven to be a positive way to send the message that
violence against women is unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to join me in continuing our efforts by
recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. There is much
work yet to be done, but, as these tireless Massachusetts organizations
have demonstrated, together, we can make a difference.

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