Domestic Violence Awareness Month

If you can't tell, preventing domestic violence is a cause that I am passionate about. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Below are things you can do. I may post more information and resources throughout the month. Read. Act. Pass it on.

Thirteen Ways Any ADULT Can Make Ending Domestic Violence His or Her Business.

1. Cultivate a respectful attitude toward women in your family and at your workplace. Avoid behaviors that demean or control women.
2. When you are angry with your partner or children, respond with out hurting or humiliating them. Model a non-violent, respectful response to resolving conflicts in your family. Call a domestic violence or child abuse prevention program for their help if you continue to hurt members of your family.
3. If you have a friend or co-worker who is afraid of her partner or who is being hurt, offer her your support and refer to the 24-hour, toll-free, National Domestic violence Hotline number at 1-800-799- SAFE (7233).
4. Learn about domestic violence services in your community. Contribute your time (volunteer!) resources, or money. Call 1-800-END-ABUSE to find out more.
5. Call the police if you see or hear violence in progress.
6. Talk to your friends and neighbors when they belittle women, make a joke about violence, or ignore a battered woman.
7. Ask you local government to collaborate with domestic violence programs to conduct a safety audit of your community.
8. Write to music producers, movie companies, Internet businesses, video game producers, and TV stations to speak out about violence against women.
9. Develop a women’s safety campaign in your workplace, neighborhood, school or house of worship. Build a consensus among your colleagues and neighbors that abusive behavior and language is unacceptable.
10. Bring together your local domestic violence program staff, parents, teachers, students, and school administrators to start a discussion about developing a school- based curriculum on dating and family violence.
11. Ask that physicians and other health care professionals receive training about domestic violence and follow the diagnostic and treatment guidelines about domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse developed by the American Medical Association.
12. Co-sponsor a citizens’ monitoring group with your local domestic violence program to insure that law enforcement officers, judges, and probation & parole personnel receive training about domestic violence and enforce the law.
13. EXAMINE YOUR OWN LIFE for violence and oppressive behaviors. Try to live a VIOLENCE-FREE life.

Information provided by the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and the National Domestic Violence Awareness Project.  June, 2000. MaryAdele Revoy, Project Coordinator. 1-800-537-2238.