TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — Governor Laura Kelly signed 12 proclamations on Friday including America’s Safe Schools Weeks and Mental Illness Awareness Week. One proclamation that was signed has been celebrating awareness in the month of October for more than 30 years.
Since 1987 Domestic Violence Awareness Month has been recognized in the United States. The goal of the month is to not only make people aware of resources available to them but also to make them aware of the unfortunate statistics around domestic violence.
“From law enforcement agencies, over 22,000 domestic violence incidents were reported and there were over 11,000 domestic violence arrests, and that’s in the whole state of Kansas,” explains Lucca Wang, Communications for the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence. “In the same year, there was 59,000 Kansans who reached out for domestic violence victim advocacy services.”
In 2018, 702 victims sought help from the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence in just one day.
Wang says there is a multitude of possible domestic violence scenarios beyond physical or sexual abuse, including coercion, isolation, and economic abuse.
“Preventing her from getting or keeping a job, making her ask for money, or only giving her an allowance,” says Wang
Wang adds that family members and friends can help victims of domestic violence by gathering as much information as possible in order to seek assistance and showing respect and understanding.
“Victims and survivors…they’re not choosing and they don’t deserve to be inflicted upon with that abuse and violence,” adds Wang.
Victims of domestic violence can seek help by calling the Kansas Crisis Hotline at 1(888)END-ABUSE or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1(800)799-SAFE.
The Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence works with partners across the state to educate the public and prevent domestic violence. For more information click here.
