Lynnwood, Wash., September 30, 2021 – The City of Lynnwood recognized October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in a proclamation during their September 27 meeting. The third week of October was also declared YWCA Week Without Violence.
According to the proclamation, one in three women and one in four men have been victims of domestic violence in the U.S. Tiffany Krusey, Victim Service Coordinator for City of Lynnwood, stated that yearly, 4.8 million women are victims of domestic violence and intimate partner violence.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence estimates that, on average, 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner, which totals up to 10 million Americans per year.
“Intimate partner violence accounts for 15 percent of all violent crimes,” Krusey said. “And that’s with only 25 percent of domestic violence incidents being reported to law enforcement.”
The sad reality is that not only is there no way of knowing just how many domestic violence incidents go unreported, but that many children are present during intimate partner violence or are themselves victims.
“What I think is really striking is that one in 15 children are exposed to domestic violence within our community,” Krusey said. “Children abused are 13 times more likely to use drugs, alcohol or become violent as adults. So it’s really important for us to focus on making changes through education, through providing services and resources to those who have had harm done against them and also providing services to those who committed harm.”
The proclamation states that: “domestic violence is a pattern of physical, emotional, verbal, and/or sexual abuse, which includes, but is not limited to, threats, intimidation, isolation, and/or financial control” and that it “is an epidemic affecting all communities, regardless of age, socioeconomic status, educational background, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, ability, sexual orientation, or gender.”
It can be hard to admit, but anyone can be the victim of domestic violence. There is no shame in reaching out for help. According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, “there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide.”
If you or someone you know may need assistance from Lynnwood’s Victim Service Coordinator, Tiffany Krusey can be contacted here. You can reach out to Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County at their 24-hour support line 425-25-ABUSE (425-252-2873) or the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224. Snohomish County also lists several other resources here.
Author: George Ftikas Jr.
