Content warning: This story discusses statistics relating to various forms of domestic violence, including psychological and physical.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and this week the Riverside County Board of Supervisors recognized a number of local organizations that support survivors and give voice to the victims of domestic violence.
“It’s a very serious topic, and it affects individuals across all demographics,” Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said at the Oct. 8 meeting.
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, intimate partner violence affects more than 12 million people in the United States every year, with women ages 18 to 35 experiencing the highest rates of intimate partner violence.
“One in four women have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner, as well as one in seven men have been the victim of severe physical violence,” Perez said. “And, as you all know, it also not only impacts the individual, but when we’re talking about children, there’s definitely trauma, and it impacts the entire family.”
Children were witnesses to nearly a quarter of intimate partner violence cases filed in state courts, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and a study published by UNICEF found that children who were exposed to violence in the home were 15 times more likely to be physically and/or sexually assaulted than the national average.
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In Riverside County, there were 7,672 calls for service related to domestic violence last year alone, according to data from the California Department of Justice. Of those calls, more than 2,400 involved a weapon of some sort, 280 involved strangulation and 47 involved suffocation.
“Obviously, those numbers are alarming,” Perez said. “It doesn’t matter how many there are, any number is alarming.”
Local organizations recognized for their work with survivors of domestic violence included Alternatives to Domestic Violence, Shelter from the Storm, Líderes Campesinas, SAFE Family Justice Center, Partners Against Violence, Cahuilla Consortium, Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center, Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center and REACH.
Everyone deserves relationships free from domestic violence. If you or someone you love is experiencing domestic violence, call The National Domestic Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or visit www.thehotline.org. Callers can remain anonymous.
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