PROCLAMATION DECLARING October 2024 as
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
WHEREAS, October is annually recognized as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month; WHEREAS, policymakers and communities must work together to transform the conditions that cause domestic violence and support survivor-centered solutions;
WHEREAS, domestic violence programs in California provide essential, lifesaving services for survivors, their children, and communities;
WHEREAS, there is a need to support and amplify prevention programs and community-based strategies to create healthy environments and decrease the likelihood or perpetration, thereby stopping domestic violence from occurring in the first place;
WHEREAS, all survivors deserve access to culturally responsive programs and services to increase their safety and self-sufficiency;
WHEREAS, the marginalization of certain groups in society, including undocumented individuals, transgender individuals, and people living with disabilities, increase their vulnerability to domestic violence; WHEREAS, 54% of transgender and gender non-conforming people have experienced domestic violence in their lifetime; [1]
WHEREAS, approximately 35% of California women and 31% of California men experience physical intimate partner violence in their lifetimes;
WHEREAS, there were 84 domestic violence related homicides in California in 2022, of which 63 of the fatalities were female, and 21 were male; [2]
WHEREAS, domestic violence is the third leading cause of homelessness among families in the United States; [3] WHEREAS, children exposed to domestic violence can experience long-term consequences including difficulty at school, substance abuse, behavioral problems in adolescence, and serious adult health problems [4] WHEREAS, in Fiscal Year 2021-2022 domestic violence shelter programs served 13,370 individuals in shelters and served 54,521 individuals through non-shelter supportive services; [5] WHEREAS, Project Sanctuary’s mission is to provide trauma informed, supportive services, by offering a 24-hour hotline to victims/survivors, responding to emergency calls, offering support, and empowering those impacted by domestic violence to chart their own journey for healing; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bernie Norvell, join Project Sanctuary in the belief that all community members must be part of the solution to end sexual violence. Along with the United States Government and State of California, I do hereby proclaim October as “Domestic Violence Awareness Month.” NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bernie Norvell, Mayor of the City of Fort Bragg, on behalf of the entire City Council, and I do hereby proclaim October as NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MONTH.
ATTEST: SIGNED this 15th day of September, 2024
_____________________________________
BERNIE NORVELL, Mayor
_____________________________________
Diana Sanchez, City Clerk
No. 08-2024
[1] 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey https://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/USTS-Full-Report-FINAL.PDF [2] "Homicide in California 2022." California Department of Justice, Division of California Justice Information Services, Bureau of Criminal Information and Analysis, Criminal Justice Statistics Center: 2023. https://dataopenjustice.doj.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Homicide%20In%20CA%202022f.pdf [3] “Domestic Violence”, National Alliance to End Homelessness, http://www.endhomelessness.org/pages/domestic_violence
[4] “Intimate Partner Violence”, National Child Traumatic Stress Network, http://www.nctsn.org/content/children-anddomestic-violence [5] 2023 Cal OES Joint Legislative Budget Committee Report, https://www.caloes.ca.gov/wpcontent/uploads/Grants/Documents/2023_JLBC.pdf