October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), a nationwide effort to increase awareness about domestic violence. It is also a time to mourn lost lives, create networks for support and change, and celebrate survivors. Throughout this month, people and organizations come together to emphasize survivors’ needs, voices, and experiences.  

Heal, Hold, and Center

For DVAM 2024, the Domestic Violence Awareness Project continues with the theme “Heal, Hold & Center,” emphasizing the importance of healing from violence and oppression, creating safe spaces for survivors, and prioritizing the needs of marginalized groups. It highlights the essential connection between survivor justice and racial justice. 

Understanding Domestic Violence

Domestic violence affects all people, regardless of age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 

• An average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States — more than 12 million women and men over a single year. 

• Approximately 84 percent of victims are psychologically abused by their partners; half are physically abused, and one-third experience sexual coercion. 

• Almost 1 in 10 teens in relationships report having a partner tamper with their social media accounts, which constitutes the most frequent form of harassment or abuse. 

• Children witnessed violence in nearly 1 in 4 intimate partner violence cases filed in state courts. 

Domestic Violence Is More Than Intimate Partner Violence

DV is not limited to intimate partner relationships. It can occur between siblings, from parent to child, or from child to parent, often referred to as family violence. This form of DV still represents a pattern of behavior intended to gain and maintain control, and those experiencing this type of abuse also need help, resources, and advocacy.