[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16678]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     IN RECOGNITION OF OCTOBER AS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

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                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 27, 2015

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of October as 
Domestic Violence Awareness Month and to reaffirm our commitment to 
ending domestic violence in this country.
  Established 24 years ago, Domestic Violence Awareness Month exists to 
raise awareness across the country regarding the prevalence of domestic 
violence and opportunities for victims. Americans of any gender, age, 
religious group, neighborhood, income level, and racial or ethnic 
background are at risk.
  The statistics are simply staggering. Every minute, nearly 20 people 
in the United States are physically abused by an intimate partner--
amounting to more than 10 million women and men in the United States a 
year. Horrifically, one in three women will experience an incident of 
domestic violence, while one in four men have been victims of some form 
of physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime. 
Daily, more than 20,000 calls are placed to domestic violence hotlines 
nationwide. This epidemic has far-reaching consequences in our 
communities; domestic violence is the third-leading cause of 
homelessness among families, and over 10 million children are exposed 
every year.
  A key step in working toward ending domestic violence in this country 
is to increase awareness, engagement, and education surrounding this 
issue. To this end, we are fortunate to have the efforts of exemplary 
organizations, including South Shore Women's Resource Center, The 
Women's Fund of Southeastern Massachusetts, We Can, and Cape Cod Center 
for Women, working to provide stability, shelter, and safety for 
victims of domestic violence throughout my district and the 
Commonwealth. Similarly, Jane Doe Inc. promotes a simple yet critical 
message: men are essential partners in the fight to end domestic 
violence and sexual assault against women. Jane Doe Inc.'s White Ribbon 
Campaign has proven to be a positive way to send the message that 
violence against women is unacceptable.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to join me in continuing our efforts by 
recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. There is much 
work yet to be done, but, as these tireless Massachusetts organizations 
have demonstrated, together, we can make a difference.

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