Whereas October is annually recognized as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month; Whereas although progress has been made toward preventing and ending domestic violence and providing support to survivors and their families, important work remains to be done; 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 provide education, awareness and understanding of domestic violence and its causes;
Whereas there is a need to support and amplify prevention programs and community-based strategies to create healthy environments and decrease the likelihood of perpetration, thereby stopping domestic violence from occurring in the first place Whereas there is a need to focus on the individualized needs of domestic violence survivors; Whereas approximately 43% of California women and 42% of California men experience physical intimate partner violence in their lifetimes;i Whereas California has higher rates of domestic violence experienced by both men and women when compared to the national average; ii
Whereas women 18-24 years of age are significantly more likely to be survivors of physical intimate partner violence than women in other age groups;iii Whereas domestic violence affects people of all genders, sexual orientations, ages, racial, ethnic, cultural, social, religious, and economic groups in the United States and here in California; Whereas the marginalization of certain groups in society, including undocumented individuals, transgender individuals, and people living with disabilities, increases their vulnerability to domestic violence;
Whereas, approximately 4 out of every 10 non-Hispanic Black women, 4 out of every 10 American Indian or Alaska Native women, and 1 in 2 multiracial non-Hispanic women have been the victim of rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
These rates are 30%-50% higher than those experienced by Hispanic, White non-Hispanic women and Asian or Pacific non-Hispanic women.iv
Whereas, according to the American Psychological Association, women with disabilities have a 40 percent greater risk of intimate partner violence than women without disabilities.v Whereas 54% of transgender and gender non-conforming people have experienced domestic violence in their lifetime.vi
Whereas domestic violence is the third leading cause of homelessness among families in the United Statesvii.
Whereas domestic violence has a significant economic impact in California, with a recent report from the University of California, San Diego and Tulane University calculating that, in 2022, the total cost of domestic violence to the state of California was $73.7 billion (about $230 per person in the US). Domestic violence imposes significant tolls not just in terms of individual lives, but also in terms of health care, lost wages, policing, and the criminal justice system.viii 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;ix
Whereas, recognizing the need to understand the complexity of violence as perpetuated within communities and against communities, and the fear of many survivors to report to law enforcement;
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;x Whereas there were 103 domestic violence related homicides in California in 2023, of which 74 of the fatalities were female and 29 were malexi
Whereas all survivors deserve access to culturally responsive programs and services to increase their safety and self-sufficiency;
Whereas all communities deserve access to culturally responsive prevention programs and initiatives to improve overall community health and safety by challenging the societal norms that perpetuate violence;
Whereas, The City of Santa Monica recognizes the vital role that all Californians can play in preventing and one day ending domestic violence; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the City Council of the City of Santa Monica that recognizes October 2024, and each following October, as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. i CDC, National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2016/2017 Report on Intimate Partner Violence. https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVS-2016-2017-State-Report-508.pdf ii Smith, S.G., Chen, J., Basile, K.C., Gilbert, L.K., Merrick, M.T., Patel, N., Walling, M., & Jain, A. (2017). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey (NISVS): 2010-2012 state report. Atlanta: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/NISVS-StateReportBook.pdf. iii Weinbaum, Z., Stratton, T., Roberson, S., Takahashi, E., & Fatheree, M. (2006). Women experiencing intimate partner violence, California, 1998-2002. In Weinbaum, Z. & Thorfinnson, T. (eds.) Women’s Health: Findings from the California Women’s Health Survey, 1997-2003. California Department of Health Services, Office of Women’s Health. Sacramento, California, May 2006. Chapter 12
iv National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 2010 Summary Report. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention, Atlanta, GA, and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
v American Psychological Association, “Abuse of Women with Disabilities”, http://www.apa.org/topics/violence/women-disabilities.aspx vi 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey https://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/USTS-Full-ReportFINAL.PDF vii “Domestic Violence”, National Alliance to End Homelessness, http://www.endhomelessness.org/pages/domestic_violence
viii Jeni Klugman, Li Li, Jakana Thomas, and Anita Raj, (2024) ”The Costs of Intimate Partnership Violence in California 2023.” Center on Gender Equity and Health and Newcomb Institute. https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:us:ca500541-2cc4-4ac4-b0bb-987520575e74 ix “Intimate Partner Violence”, National Child Traumatic Stress Network, http://www.nctsn.org/content/childrenand-domestic-violence x 2023 Cal OES Joint Legislative Budget Committee Report, https://www.caloes.ca.gov/wpcontent/uploads/Grants/Documents/2023_JLBC.pdf xi "Homicide in California 2023." California Department of Justice, Division of California Justice Information Services, Bureau of Criminal Information and Analysis, Criminal Justice Statistics Center: 2024. https://dataopenjustice.doj.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2024-07/Homicide%20In%20CA%202023f.pdf