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“SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H10791-H10793 on Sept. 25, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS
MONTH
Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 590) supporting the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should raise awareness of domestic violence in the United States and its devastating effects on families and communities, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 590
Whereas one in four women will experience domestic violence sometime in her life;
Whereas domestic violence affects men, women, and children of all ages, racial, ethnic, economic, and religious backgrounds;
Whereas women ages 16 to 24 experience the highest rates, per capita, of intimate partner violence;
Whereas 13 percent of teenage girls who have been in a relationship report being hit or hurt by their partners and one in four teenage girls has been in a relationship in which she was pressured into performing sexual acts by her partner;
Whereas there is a need for middle schools, secondary schools, and post-secondary schools to educate students about the issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking;
Whereas the annual cost of lost productivity due to domestic violence is estimated as $727,800,000 with over
$7,900,000 paid workdays lost per year;
Whereas homicides were the second leading cause of death on the job for women, with 15 percent of the 119 workplace homicides of women in 2003 attributed to a current or former husband or boyfriend;
Whereas landlords frequently deny housing to victims of domestic violence who have protection orders or evict victims of domestic violence for seeking help, such as by calling 911, after a domestic violence incident or who have other indications that they are domestic violence victims;
Whereas 92 percent of homeless women experience severe physical or sexual abuse at some point in their lifetimes;
Whereas Americans suffer 2,200,000 medically treated injuries due to interpersonal violence annually, at a cost of
$37,000,000,000 ($33,000,000,000 in productivity losses,
$4,000,000,000 in medical treatment);
Whereas people aged 15 to 44 years comprise 44 percent of the population, but account for nearly 75 percent of injuries and 83 percent of costs due to interpersonal violence;
Whereas 40 to 60 percent of men who abuse women also abuse children;
Whereas male children exposed to domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners;
Whereas children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to attempt suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away from home, and engage in teenage prostitution;
Whereas adolescent girls who reported dating violence were 60 percent more likely to report one or more suicide attempts in the past year;
Whereas 13.7 percent of the victims of murder-suicide cases were the children of the perpetrator and 74.6 percent were female while 91.9 percent of the perpetrators were male; in 30 percent of those cases the male perpetrator also committed suicide;
Whereas a 2001 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on homicide among intimate partners found that female intimate partners are more likely to be murdered with a firearm than all other means combined;
Whereas according to one study, during court ordered visitation, five percent of abusive fathers threaten to kill their spouses, 34 percent of abusive fathers threaten to kidnap their children, and 25 percent of abusive fathers threaten to physically hurt their children;
Whereas homicide is the third leading cause of death for Native American women and 75 percent of Native American women who are killed are killed by a family member or an acquaintance;
Whereas 88 percent of men think that our society should do more to respect women and girls;
Whereas men say that the entertainment industry, government leaders and elected officials, the sports industry, schools, colleges and universities, the news media and employers should be doing more to prevent intimate partner violence;
Whereas there is a need to increase funding for programs carried out under the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005), Public Law 109-162, aimed at intervening and preventing domestic violence in the United States; and
Whereas individuals and organizations that are dedicated to preventing and ending domestic violence should be recognized: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month; and
(2) expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in the United States and its devastating effects on families and communities.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kline) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
General Leave
Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may insert material relevant to H. Res. 590 into the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mrs. McCARTHY of New York asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)
Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I want to call attention to the fact that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, as first declared by Congress in 1998, and I also would like to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) for bringing this forward through the Education Committee.
Throughout October, thousands of groups hold events to bring awareness to the violence that affects millions of men, women and children in our country every single year. The positive effect of this advocacy has increased community awareness about domestic violence.
Increased knowledge about domestic violence and the services available helps victims seek help, holds abusers accountable, and helps children live in homes where violence is not condoned. In addition to recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, our Congress has recognized that domestic violence is a serious crime by passing laws such as the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, the Victims of Crime Act and the Violence Against Women Act.
Preventing domestic violence is critical in addressing and breaking the cycle of violence. And it is a cycle. Whether the violence is found in a dating situation or in married life, the strongest risk factor of violent behavior continuing from one generation to the next is if children are witnessing this violence. Evidence shows that children who witness domestic violence at home are more likely to engage in violent behavior, do poorly in school, use drugs and alcohol, and at an early age engage in risky sexual behavior and develop mental illness issues.
Domestic violence adversely affects the workplace by negatively impacting the victim's health and safety, decreasing employee productivity, and increasing health care costs.
A Bureau of Labor Statistics national survey found that 21 percent of full-time employed adults were the victims of domestic violence.
Congress must continue to lead in making our Nation aware of domestic violence and its impact on our society. We must assist the men, women and children affected by domestic violence while prosecuting this as a crime.
In my district in Nassau County, there were over 5,000 domestic violence hotline calls last year, and 2,700 domestic violence victims received services other than hotline calls. They received counseling, legal and residential and nonresidential services. But, unfortunately, we did not reach all of them. There is still much work to be done.
During October, the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence will do its part in reaching the community through trainings with the police department, medical staff, students in social work programs, and public safety announcements.
Mr. Speaker, clearly we need to work with the men and women of this Nation to educate them on what domestic violence is, the impact upon society and how to stop it in each community. It affects our children and it affects our community. It affects all of us.
I hope that my colleagues will support this resolution and the work being done in their communities and across the Nation to raise awareness of and break the cycle of domestic violence.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 590, supporting the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should raise awareness of domestic violence in the United States and its devastating effects on families and communities.
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and is recognized as such in communities across the country. This designation helps to focus public attention on this widespread and devastating crime.
The problem of domestic violence is centuries old, and our attention to the matter has grown, but we need to do more to raise awareness of this problem.
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One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their partners and children when they become adults. The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $5.8 billion each year. As evidenced by these staggering statistics, domestic violence has far-reaching effects on society.
Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, assault, battery, sexual assault and/or other abusive behavior perpetrated by an intimate partner against another. It is an epidemic that affects men, women and children in every community regardless of age, economic status, religion, nationality, educational background, or gender.
When we think of domestic violence, we often think of women being the victims. However, men are victimized by violence as well. Male victims are less likely than women to report violence and seek services due to concerns over the stigma associated with being a male victim, or not being believed. Both men and women experience the same dynamics of interpersonal violence including experiences of disbelief, ridicule, and shame that only enhance their silence.
Unfortunately, the youngest victims are the children who witness the abuse. Research has shown that children witnessing domestic violence and living in an environment where violence occurs may experience some of the same trauma as abused children. They may become fearful, aggressive, or withdrawn. Adolescents may act out or exhibit risk-
taking behaviors such as drug and alcohol use, running away, sexual promiscuity, and criminal behavior. All of this behavior has an effect on society as a whole, and we must continue to keep domestic violence in the forefront so this cycle can be broken now.
Domestic violence harms the victim, children, the abuser and the entire health of American families and communities. Nearly 20 years ago, Congress passed legislation recognizing the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Designating October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month allows organizations and communities concerned about domestic violence to leverage this public recognition for activities that raise awareness and link victims to services.
In our role as Members of Congress, we can help galvanize public awareness for the victims of domestic violence. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 590.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my colleague from California (Mr. Costa) who has been an outspoken person against domestic violence.
Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I want to thank her for her strong advocacy on behalf of victims of crime and her long history in being a tenacious fighter on behalf of the families throughout our country.
Mr. Speaker, I rise, as a cochair of the bipartisan Victims Rights Caucus, along with Congressman Ted Poe, and speak on behalf of all the members of that caucus today to provide strong support for H. Res. 590, which supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which occurs every October. These goals and efforts are spelled out among the principles of what the Victims Rights Caucus advocates here in the House.
Next month, communities throughout the Nation will participate in National Night Out and Take Back the Night marches in order to bring the awful crime of domestic violence, once again, to the forefront throughout our communities. This resolution helps to bring more awareness of this terrible offense and its effect that it has on our families and our neighbors throughout the communities of this great country of ours.
In my home State of California, domestic violence hotlines answer more than 30 calls every hour from victims, a sad fact. And domestic violence unfortunately continues to plague our families and communities unless we come together as a Nation to end it for good, not just in terms of the formal efforts that we provide but in terms of all the other community organizations that play an important role.
We must remember that domestic violence victims are our sons. They are our daughters. They are our sisters and our brothers, even our parents and our neighbors. They struggle to survive after a crime, and they deserve our services and support to help them cope during their difficult hour.
Therefore, it is fitting and appropriate that we today support the goals and the ideals in recognizing National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which occurs every October.
Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton).
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank the gentlewoman from New York for handling this very important bill. I want to thank Mr. Costa and Mr. Poe for sponsoring this legislation.
When we talk about violence in the family, domestic violence, we quote a lot of statistics, and my colleagues have done that very, very well. But one of the things that's very hard for people to understand is what it's like to actually go through domestic violence.
It's so important that everybody in America be involved in stopping domestic violence. There's so many people that hear some woman scream or see some child being beaten by their father and they don't do anything about it. They say it's not my business, and so they go on their merry way, and they feel like this problem's going to go away. It doesn't go away. It gets worse and worse and worse until sometimes people get killed or maimed for life.
My father was six-foot eight, and my mother was five-foot-and-a-half inches tall, and he used to beat her so badly that we couldn't recognize her. He would tear her clothes off of her in front of me and my brother and sister, and then if we said anything he would beat me.
He went to prison for trying to kill her, and one of the reasons it went that far, in my opinion, is because there wasn't enough attention paid to what he was doing in the first place.
I can remember one night about 2 o'clock in the morning my mother, who had been beaten up, took me and my brother and sister down to the police station in Indianapolis, and she went to the desk sergeant and said to him, you know, she wanted to get a restraining order, get away from this brute and this brutality. And the desk officer said, you know what time it is, lady? It's 2 o'clock in the morning, and these kids ought to be in bed. If you don't take these kids home right now, I'm going to arrest you for child abuse. That was the attitude that we saw back in those days.
I can remember when she would throw a lamp through the front window when he was beating on her or me and scream for help so loud that you could hear it for blocks away and nobody came. Nobody's light went on. Nobody paid any attention, and that's the crime.
The crime isn't just the wife abuse or child abuse or spousal abuse. The crime is that people don't take it upon themselves to stop it.
Today, it's a lot better in police departments across this country. There's a lot of organizations that are trying to help women and kids who are abused, and that's great. It's a great step in the right direction, but as these statistics that we've heard today will tell you, it goes on and on and on. And the only way it's going to stop, if collectively across this country, men and women who see violence in public or in private or hear about it, report it to the police, report it to the proper people and get that brute away from that man and that woman and those kids. If we don't do that, this is never going to stop. The brute has to be afraid of what's going to happen to him.
I'll just tell you how this story ends. My mother finally got away from him. He went to prison for 2 to 14 years. And when he got out, he still tried to bother us. But it wasn't until he realized that he was going to go back to jail if he did it again that he stopped. The fear of the law, the fear of prosecution, the fear of retaliation for what they're doing is the one thing that brutes and wife and child abusers understand.
And so I'd like to say to my colleagues, this is very important legislation. I really appreciate it. I'm glad that we sponsor this every year, and we need to make sure there's awareness of this.
But I'd like to say if anybody across the country is paying attention, it's your responsibility, every single American, if you see a wife or child abuse or abuse of any type like this, report it to the police. Tell your friends and neighbors to watch for it. That's the only way it's going to stop, and it's everybody's responsibility.
Each year children witness domestic violence and this experience can have a lasting impact on their lives. In order to break the intergenerational cycle, children need services and interventions to address their experiences and prevent future violence. Between 3.3 and 10 million children witness domestic violence every year.
The National Census of Domestic Violence Services (NCDVS) revealed that over 18,000 children in the United States received services and support from 1,243 local domestic violence programs during a 24-hour period in November 2006. During the survey day: 7,241 children found refuge in emergency shelter; 4,852 children were living in transitional housing programs designed specifically for domestic violence survivors; and 5,946 children received non-residential services, such as individual counseling, legal advocacy, and children's support groups.
Nationwide, participating programs reported that 5,157 requests for services from adults and children went unmet. Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults.
Children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to exhibit cognitive and physical health problems like depression, anxiety, and violence toward peers. These children are also more likely to attempt suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away from home, engage in teenage prostitution, and commit sexual assault crimes.
Teens experience high rates of domestic and sexual violence and need specialized services that respond to this and prevent future violence. Domestic and sexual violence's prevalence in the youth population is a problem that deserves careful attention.
One in 3 teens know a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, choked or physically hurt by dating partners. One-
fourth of high school girls have been the victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse or date rape. Girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence.
Not surprisingly, this violence can have a traumatic effect on the lives of these young people that can last well into adulthood.
Victims of teen dating violence are more likely to: use alcohol, tobacco, and cocaine; drive after drinking; engage in unhealthy weight control behaviors; commit sexually risky behaviors; and become pregnant. Over 50 percent of youth reporting dating violence and rape also reported attempting suicide. Girls who are raped are about 3 times more likely to suffer from psychiatric disorders and over 4 times more likely to suffer from drug and alcohol abuse in adulthood.
American Indian and Alaska Native women are battered, raped and stalked at far greater rates than any other group of women in the United States.
The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that: 1 of 3 Native women will be raped; 6 of 10 will be physically assaulted; and Native women are stalked at a rate at least twice that of any other population. Seventy percent of American Indians who are the victims of violent crimes are victimized by someone of a different race.
This bill raises awareness of domestic violence. It is essential to keep this issue in the eye of the public so that victims know that they have options and a way out. I am proud to support this bill today.
Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, does the gentleman from Minnesota have any more speakers?
Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I do not have any more speakers. I would just like to urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution by educating people about domestic violence so that we may be able to prevent it from happening.
Again, domestic violence is like a domino effect. Once it happens in the family, it continues through generation through generation.
The last speaker mentioned about the community getting involved, people getting involved. We have to stop this because it's a terrible, terrible action against people.
Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, in 1987, 20 years ago, Congress first recognized October as National Domestic Violence Awareness month. Because of Congress's actions, local community groups, religious organizations, healthcare providers, corporations, and the media are addressing domestic violence in our communities. This October, thousands of victim advocacy organizations, state coalitions, and community groups will hold events to raise awareness to the violence that annually affects millions of men, women, and children in the United States. If we can raise awareness and teach the youth healthy relationship skills and intervene in youth violence, we can reduce dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in our schools and communities. As the founder of the Victims' Rights Caucus, and sponsor of H. Res. 590, I hope to give a voice to domestic violence victims. Raising awareness of domestic violence provides victims with help and a safe haven, while holding abusers accountable. And that's just the way it is.
Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 590, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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