Whereas 2005 marks the 11th anniversary of the enactment
of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (Public Law 103–322, 108 Stat.
1902);
Whereas since the passage of the Violence Against Women
Act of 1994, communities have made significant progress in reducing domestic
violence such that between 1993 and 2001, the incidents of nonfatal domestic
violence fell 49 percent;
Whereas the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 cost $15.50
per woman to implement, and has been estimated to save $159 per woman, totaling
a savings of nearly $14,800,000,000 since its creation in averted costs of
victimization;
Whereas since it was created by the Violence Against Women
Act of 1994, the National Domestic Violence Hotline has been used to answer
over 1,000,000 calls;
Whereas States have passed over 660 State laws pertaining
to domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault;
Whereas the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 has helped
make strides toward breaking the cycle of violence, but there remains much work
to be done;
Whereas the Senate recently passed the Violence Against
Women Act of 2005 which reauthorized critical components of the original Act
and established additional protections for battered immigrants and victims of
human trafficking in order to further combat domestic violence and sexual
assault;
Whereas domestic violence affects women, men, and children
of all racial, social, religious, ethnic, and economic groups in the United
States;
Whereas protecting the economic security of victims can
help break the cycle of domestic violence;
Whereas abusers frequently seek to control their partners
by actively interfering with the ability of their partners to work, including
by preventing their partners from going to work and harassing their partners at
work;
Whereas only 28 States and the District of Columbia have
laws that explicitly provide unemployment insurance to victims of domestic
violence under certain circumstances;
Whereas, on average, more than 3 women are murdered by
their husbands or boyfriends in the United States every day;
Whereas women who have been abused are much more likely to
suffer from chronic pain, diabetes, depression, unintended pregnancies,
substance abuse, and sexually transmitted infections, including
HIV/AIDS;
Whereas only about 10 percent of primary care physicians
routinely screen for domestic violence during new patient visits, and 9 percent
routinely screen during periodic checkups;
Whereas each year, about 324,000 pregnant women in the
United States are battered by the men in their lives, leading to pregnancy
complications, such as low-weight gain, anemia, infections, and first and
second trimester bleeding;
Whereas every 2 minutes, someone in the United States is
sexually assaulted;
Whereas almost 25 percent of women surveyed had been raped
or physically assaulted by a spouse or boyfriend at some point in their
lives;
Whereas in 2002 alone, 250,000 women and girls older than
the age of 12 were raped or sexually assaulted;
Whereas 64 percent of women have reported being raped,
physically assaulted, or stalked since age 18 by their current or former
intimate partner;
Whereas 1 out of every 12 women has been stalked in her
lifetime;
Whereas approximately 503,000 women are stalked by an
intimate partner annually in the United States;
Whereas the influence of cultural norms, economics,
language barriers, and limited access to legal services and information may
render some immigrant women particularly vulnerable to abuse;
Whereas 1 in 5 adolescent girls in the United States
becomes a victim of physical or sexual abuse, or both, in a dating
relationship;
Whereas 40 percent of girls ages 14 to 17 report knowing
someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend;
Whereas approximately 8,800,000 children in the United
States witness domestic violence each year;
Whereas witnessing domestic violence increases the risk of
developing long-term physical and mental health problems, future struggles with
substance abuse, and experiencing domestic abuse as a victim;
Whereas a boy who witnesses his father's domestic violence
is 10 times more likely to engage in domestic violence than a boy from a
nonviolent home;
Whereas almost 37 percent of all women who sought care in
hospital emergency rooms for violence-related injuries were injured by a
current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend;
Whereas the cost of domestic violence, including rape,
physical assault, and stalking, exceeds $5,800,000,000 each year, of which
$4,100,000,000 is spent on direct medical and mental health care
services;
Whereas 44 percent of the mayors of the United States have
identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness;
Whereas over 50 percent of abused women lose at least 3
days of work per month due to domestic violence, 60 percent of battered women
endure reprimands for arriving late to work and displaying other work-related
problems associated with abuse, and 70 percent report difficulties in
performing their work due to the effects of domestic violence;
Whereas existing statistical data suggests that forced
prostitution, trafficking for sex, and sex tourism has increased throughout the
world;
Whereas the need to increase the public awareness and
understanding of domestic violence and the needs of battered women and their
children continues to exist;
Whereas the month of October 2005 has been recognized as
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a month for activities furthering
awareness of domestic violence; and
Whereas the dedication and successes of those working
tirelessly to end domestic violence and the strength of the survivors of
domestic violence should be recognized: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate
(1)supports the
goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month; and
(2)expresses the
sense of the Senate that Congress should continue to raise awareness of
domestic violence in the United States and its devastating impact on
families.