October is nationally recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Statistics show that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will be victims of domestic violence at least once in their lifetime. In 1989, the Minnesota Coalition Against Domestic Violence began documenting the number of deaths each year that occurred in MN as a result of domestic violence.
Each year since then, MCBW has issued their ‘femicide’ report as a way to bear witness to individuals killed by domestic violence at the hands of their partners, as well as to help raise awareness about the lethality of this kind of violence in our communities. The highest number of deaths recorded through the ‘femicide’ report occurred in 2000 when the number of deaths reached over 46, of those, 40 were women and 6 were friends or family of these women.
While these numbers clearly illustrate the prevalence of domestic violence, it does not reflect the actual numbers of individuals affected by the loss of a loved one. In addition to the 25 families in 2013 who lost a daughter, a sister or someone very dear to them, over 12 children lost their mothers as a result of domestic violence. These deaths hurt entire families and can have a life-long impact on children’s lives.
It’s time to break this cycle! Please help the Lakes Crisis and Resource Center continue our mission and reach out to individuals and families affected by violence. For more information, call 218-847-7446.
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