Did you know that every nine seconds in the United States, a woman is assaulted or beaten?
Or how about that on average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men.
One in three women and one in four men have been victims of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.
These astounding statistics need to change.
Along with National Bullying Prevention Month, October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Minnesota.
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And it’s not just affecting men and women. Sadly, one in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90 percent of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence. These statistics are courtesy of National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
On a local level, there are programs through the Lakes Crisis and Resource Center to help women in danger. They can also assist with advocacy, shelter services, parenting assistance and mental health care.
Each Thursday, LCRS is offering a women’s domestic violence education support group for anyone who has been abused or been affected by abuse.
The group meets every Thursday from 5-6 p.m. in the crisis center in Detroit Lakes. Some of the topics of discussion will include What Do You Know About Domestic Violence, What is the Impact of Domestic Violence on Children, Why Do Women Stay and Moving Forward – Building Resiliency.
Contact the crisis center at 218-847-8572 or 218-847-7446 to register for the group.
On a state level, there is a program called Safe at Home.
Safe at Home assists Minnesotans who wish to keep the location of their physical residence private for personal safety reasons, often because they are victims of domestic violence and stalking.
“The Safe at Home program has assisted thousands of Minnesotans since its inception and is critical to ensuring protection for victims of domestic violence,” said Secretary of State Steve Simon. “I encourage any Minnesotan who fears for their safety to meet with an application assistant and determine if enrolling in the Safe at Home program is an appropriate step to take.”
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Participants enrolled in Safe at Home use a P.O. Box as their legal address for all purposes. First class mail sent to the P.O. Box is forwarded to the participant’s physical address by the Secretary of State, and all participants designate the Secretary of State as their agent for legal service of process.
Safe at Home partners with organizations all around the state to work with people who wish to enroll in the program. A person who wants to enroll in the program meets face-to-face with an application assistant to discuss their safety concerns and the application assistant works with them to determine whether enrolling in Safe at Home is a good safety step for the person to take.
While protecting against domestic violence is a must, eliminating the issue altogether is even more pertinent. These statistics need to decline instead of continue to increase.
