Governor Proclaims Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2022

WHEREAS, domestic violence, which can include physical, mental, sexual, emotional, and financial abuse, is a means of intimidation and violence to influence and control a partner involved in an intimate relationship; and

WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1 in 4 women and nearly 1 in 10 men experienced some form of intimate partner violence, including sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking, during their lifetime; and

WHEREAS, domestic violence accounts for 21 percent and intimate partner violence accounts for 15 percent of all violent crime in the United States; in 2020-2021, nearly 68,000 North Carolinians received domestic violence services from agencies funded by the North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement; and

WHEREAS, domestic violence is a serious public health issue that results in billions of dollars spent annually in medical, mental health, and lost work productivity costs; and

WHEREAS, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic violence survivors experienced increased isolation from support services, reduced capacity of crisis centers, increased symptoms of mental health conditions, and financial stress; and

WHEREAS, the impacts of limited protections, displacement, and/or the need to rely on abusers for physical and financial survival were also heightened by the pandemic; domestic violence survivors in rural areas, those who struggle socioeconomically, those who are immigrants, and those who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups, and those who are members of the LGBTQ+ community continue to be among the most affected; and

WHEREAS, limited supply of and access to affordable housing across North Carolina increasingly limits the ability of communities to respond to and prevent further domestic violence; and

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina recognizes the significant impact domestic violence has on individuals, families, children, schools, places of work as well as in our military and veteran communities; and

WHEREAS, by working together, we can raise awareness and break the cycle of violence in order to build safer communities for all;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim October, 2022, as “DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.