Proclamation
WHEREAS, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime; and
WHEREAS, women are not the only targets; men, young children and the elderly also are counted among the victims, and, sadly, emotional scars are often permanent; and
WHEREAS, children witnessed violence in nearly 1 in 4 intimate partner violence cases filed in state courts; and
WHEREAS, in the United States an average of 24 people per minute experience intimate partner physical violence every minute, this equates to more than 12 billion abuse victims annually; and
WHEREAS, intimate partner violence prevention programs seek to address the risk of intimate partner violence before violence or abuse occurs, and intervene while behaviors can still be changed.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, MATTHEW SERRATTO, Mayor recognizes the important work done by the staff and volunteers of Valley Crisis Center and do hereby proclaim the month of October to be Domestic Violence Prevention Awareness Month and urge all citizens to actively engage themselves in learning about intimate partner violence prevention and how they can contribute to prevention efforts.
Signed this 5
th day of October 2026.
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Matthew Serratto, Mayor of Merced