[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 195 (Monday, October 7, 1996)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 52677-52678]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25898]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 195 / Monday, October 7, 1996 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 52677]]


                Proclamation 6927 of October 3, 1996

                
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, 1996

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                 Domestic violence threatens the very core of what we 
                hold dear. Millions of women and children throughout 
                our nation are plagued by the terror of family violence 
                each year, and approximately 20 percent of all hospital 
                emergency room visits by women result from such 
                violence. Family violence is a crime that transcends 
                race, religion, ethnicity, and economic stature, and 
                one of its greatest tragedies is its effect on our 
                young people: as many as 3 million children witness 
                violence in their homes each year.

                We must never give up in our efforts to transform 
                despair into hope for the women and families across 
                this country who suffer violence at home. We must 
                encourage all Americans to increase public awareness 
                and understanding of domestic abuse as well as the 
                needs of its victims. My Administration is fully 
                engaged in this struggle, coordinating our efforts 
                through the Violence Against Women Office at the 
                Department of Justice and through the Department of 
                Health and Human Services.

                Legislation enacted during the past several years is 
                also helping to overcome the scourge of domestic 
                violence. The Violence Against Women Act that I signed 
                into law has given law enforcement critical new tools 
                with which to prosecute and punish criminals who 
                intentionally prey upon women and children. The 
                Interstate Stalking Punishment and Prevention Act of 
                1996, enacted just last month, makes it a Federal crime 
                for any stalker to cross State lines to pursue a 
                victim, whether or not there is a protection order in 
                effect, whether or not an actual act of violence has 
                been committed, and whether or not the stalker is the 
                victim's spouse. And I am pleased that the Congress has 
                just taken action to keep guns out of the hands of 
                people with a history of domestic violence.

                My Administration has also worked to increase the 
                support available for battered women and other victims 
                of domestic violence, including the elderly. In 
                February, I announced the creation of a 24-hour, toll-
                free National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-
                SAFE. The response to this service has been 
                overwhelming, and the hotline has already received over 
                50,000 calls--the majority from women and men who have 
                never before reached out for assistance. This year, we 
                will also provide increased and unprecedented resources 
                for battered women's shelters, domestic violence 
                prevention efforts, and children's counseling services.

                There is still much more to do, however. The welfare 
                reform legislation that I recently signed recognizes 
                the special needs of domestic violence victims, and I 
                urge all States to accept the option of implementing 
                the new law's Family Violence provisions. I have also 
                directed the Department of Health and Human Services 
                and the Department of Justice to develop guidance for 
                States and assist them in implementing the provisions. 
                As we help families move from welfare to work, we must 
                ensure that they remain safe from violence in their 
                homes and are given the support they need to achieve 
                independence.

                As a result of these and other efforts at the national, 
                State, and local levels, we are one step closer to 
                eliminating domestic violence and building in its place 
                a brighter, more secure future for our families and 
                loved ones.

[[Page 52678]]

                 I salute all those whose efforts are helping us in 
                this endeavor and pay special tribute to the survivors 
                of domestic violence whose courage is an inspiration to 
                us all. I urge all Americans to join me in working 
                toward the day when no person raises a hand in violence 
                against a family member.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim October 1996 as National 
                Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I call upon all 
                Americans to observe this month by demonstrating their 
                respect and gratitude for all those individuals who 
                unselfishly share their experiences, skills, and 
                talents with those affected by domestic violence.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                third day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen 
                hundred and ninety-six, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
                first.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 96-25898
Filed 10-4-96; 11:24 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P