Speaking Out Against Domestic Violence

SPEAKING OUT AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE -- (House of Representatives - March 11, 2004)

(Ms. CAPITO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak out against domestic violence. Domestic violence encompasses all acts of forceful behavior that one person uses to maintain control over another person. While we are taking steps to eradicate the threat of domestic abuse for women and children, unfortunately the statistics demonstrate the need for more community outreach, funding for prevention programs, and help from Congress.

In my home State of West Virginia, there has been a 400 percent increase in the number of domestic violence complaints to our law enforcement agencies. I am committed to stopping violence against women. But women are not the only victims. Many times children are the victims. In our Nation, millions of children, 9 million children, have reported seeing violence in their home. These statistics are just an estimate, 9 million, but I believe one child is one too many. We need to take care of our children and ensure they are safe from violent crimes, particularly in their own homes.

With a strong commitment from Members of Congress to work together to decrease domestic violence in our Nation, hopefully we will see a drop in the domestic violence statistics in the years to come.

END