October 1st is the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the U.S. One state in particular has wasted no time in addressing the needs of children who witness violence. Specifically, three new laws went into effect Wednesday in Maryland that expand protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in the state, and hold abusers accountable.
Judges will now have the authority to impose enhanced penalties for acts of domestic violence "committed in the presence of a minor in the home". This law will help hold abusers accountable and keep children safe. It also represents and important step in breaking the cycle of violence.
Studies carried out over the last 25 years consistently agree that children who witness violence are at a higher risk for a wide range of behavioral, emotional and intellectual problems than children who have not been exposed to violence.
As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, AMHCA is launching a new roundtable discussion program called "Just-In-Time." These discussions will be live-streaming events and will take place at a specific date and time. They will be geared towards talking about hot topics and issues facing the clients that CMHCs serve. Our first event will be October 8th and will have a focus on Addressing Intimate Partner Violence. As we talked with our panel we realized it was impossible to fit a good discussion into just one setting so there will also be a follow-up event on October 22nd. Both events will begin at 11AM ET, will last two hours and 2 CEs will be offered to those who have attended. Click here to learn more about AMHAC's roundtable discussions.
Intimate partner violence is a multifaceted public health issue that has gained much attention in the past few weeks, especially as the National Football League addresses some of its players' violence charges.
The issue, of course, is not about football or football players. The bigger issue is that domestic violence affects 1 in every 4 women - according to statistics from AMHCA. Nearly 85% of all domestic violence victims are women; and the women at greatest frisk of non-fatal intimate partner violence are 20-24 years old.
Many experts believe that intimate partner violence has now reached epidemic proportions. Even if this violence has been more of a silent epidemic, we have arrived at a teachable moment in America for both adults and children on the problem and solutions. It is a reminder to us that 25% of American women experience intimate partner violence. It's an opportunity for the world to know that 3 women are killed daily in America from intimate partner violence incidents. It's a call to arms because we have a responsibility to do something about it.