[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 163 (Thursday, October 27, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1956]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

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                         HON. DONNA F. EDWARDS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 27, 2011

  Ms. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize October as 
Domestic Violence Awareness Month, designated as such in 1987. Since 
then, victims and their advocates have come together each October to 
shed light on this insidious and still far too pervasive social ill.
  As co-founder of the National Network to End Domestic Violence and 
its first Executive Director, I worked with domestic violence advocates 
and policymakers to bring about critical programming and changes in 
national public policy through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 
1994 for victims of domestic abuse.
  Since passage, great strides have been made to call attention and 
provide resources to address domestic violence. But the fight is far 
from over. Millions of women continue to suffer from assaults and rapes 
that cause long-term physical and mental health problems. According to 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year, victims 
experience about 7.7 million intimate partner related physical assaults 
and rapes at a cost of $5.8 billion, including $4.1 billion in direct 
health care expenses.
  As our economy recovers, it is important to appreciate the impact 
that the economic downturn has had on services providers due to 
increased demand, but limited resources. According to the National 
Network to End Domestic Violence, domestic violence is more than three 
times as likely to occur when couples are experiencing high levels of 
financial strain. The sad truth is service providers struggle to serve 
victims with constrained budgets. According to the National Center for 
Victims of Crime, 92% of victim service providers have seen an 
increased demand, but 84% reported that cutbacks in funding were 
directly affecting their work.
  This past Tuesday, October 25th, I was joined by the Prince George's 
County State's Attorney Office, Congressional staffers, victims' rights 
advocates, law enforcement, and providers on a tour of the Domestic 
Violence and Sexual Assault Center (DV/SAC) at the Prince George's 
Hospital in Cheverly, Maryland. The tour not only commemorated Domestic 
Violence Awareness Month, but provided all participants with a better 
understanding of the vital work being done by victim advocates in my 
State of Maryland and across our country, as well as the growing demand 
for special services for victims in this economic climate.
  Established in 1973 and expanded in 2010, DV/SAC is located in the 
4th Congressional District of Maryland, which I have the honor of 
representing in this Chamber. It offers a full range of hospital-based 
domestic violence services. The Center operates 24 hours a day and 
includes crisis intervention, crisis and follow-up counseling, safety 
planning, danger assessment, referral services, and victim advocacy. In 
2010, DV/SAC provided sexual assault forensic exams and counseling to 
over 300 new victims, 1,700 individual and group counseling sessions, 
and over 1,000 crisis line inquiries answered, in addition to training 
medical staff and collaborating with community partners.
  It is vitally important that we quickly reauthorize the life-saving 
and essential programs that protect so many women and families across 
our country. These programs save lives, contribute to our Nation's 
economic well-being, and break the devastating cycle of violence for 
future generations. We also need to maintain and even increase critical 
Family Violence Prevention and Service Act (FVPSA) and VAWA funding in 
these challenging economic times for not only our Nation, but also all 
the families across the United States.
  The prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault throughout the 
country takes the work of a community and a commitment to providing 
women and men with resources and information to protect themselves. I 
look forward to continue working with victims, advocates, providers, 
and other Members of Congress in obtaining the necessary funding for 
these vital programs, while also working to strengthen VAWA through its 
reauthorization.

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