Nearly one out of four women in the United States and one out of seven men have suffered physical violence by an intimate partner.¹ Victims of these crimes often suffer psychological, emotional and financial abuse, making it difficult for them to work, go to school or even seek appropriate help safely. And, children make up one-half to two-thirds of residents in domestic violence shelters.²

In 1981, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence called for an observation of a “day of unity” during October. Since then, the month of October has been declared National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This is a time for all of us to come together and recognize the problem, to honor those individuals and organizations working every day to end domestic violence, and to reaffirm our commitment to addressing the needs of the victims of this deeply scarring crime.

Recently, the Assembly took action by passing key legislation to help empower victims and eliminate some of the barriers that prevent them from getting their lives back on track. The legislation would prohibit employment and housing discrimination against victims of domestic violence (A.272, A.6354-A) and allow them to recover damages when orders of protection are violated (A.260).

Here in Onondaga County, nearly 700 adults and children seek shelter from domestic violence every year. Fortunately, there are local resources available. Vera House assists families in crisis, providing shelter, counseling and career and legal services. Victims can seek assistance 24 hours a day by calling Vera House at 468-3260 or by visiting its website (verahouse.org).

I urge you to take part in observing National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. You can participate by wearing purple on Oct. 21 as well as by signing Vera House’s pledge (verahouse.org/give/sign-our-pledge) to help fight back against domestic violence and bring change to our community.

You can also learn more about the progress we’ve made and our priorities for the future, while hearing from the brave survivors of domestic and sexual violence, by attending the 26th Annual Report to the Community on Oct. 26, from noon to 1 p.m. at the SKY Armory, 351 S. Clinton St. in Syracuse. For more information about National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and other ways you can get involved, visit the National Network to End Domestic Violence’s website (nnedv.org).

I’ll continue to fight to ensure that all victims of these crimes are afforded the protections and services they need and deserve. Together, we can show that our community and New York State have zero tolerance for domestic violence. As always, my door is open. Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me at StirpeA@assembly.state.ny.us or by calling 452-1115.

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