ISSUE: Domestic violence

OUR VIEW: October observance points to scope of the violence

The pink shoes, gloves and other equipment worn by players and coaches in NFL football games are unmistakable. They represent professional football’s support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and efforts to combat a nationwide killer. October also marks the special recognition of preventing another killer primarily of women: domestic violence.

In his proclamation for National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, President Barack Obama wrote:

“Domestic violence touches the lives of Americans of all ages, leaving a devastating impact on women, men, and children of every background and circumstance. A family’s home becomes a place of fear, hopelessness, and desperation when a woman is battered by her partner, a child witnesses the abuse of a loved one, or a senior is victimized by family members. Since the 1994 passage of the landmark Violence Against Women Act, championed by then Senator Joe Biden, our Nation has strengthened its response to this crime and increased services for victims. Still, far too many women and families in this country and around the world are affected by domestic violence.”

Most recently, South Carolina learned that it ranks eighth national in the rate of women murdered by men.

Louisiana, with a rate of 2.53 per 100,000, ranked first, according to the new Violence Policy Center report, “When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2007 Homicide Data.”

The annual VPC report details national and state-by-state information on female homicides involving one female murder victim and one male offender. The study uses the most recent data available from the FBI’s unpublished Supplementary Homicide Report and is released each year to coincide with October’s observance of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Ranked behind Louisiana were: Alaska at 2 with a rate of 2.44 per 100,000; Wyoming at 3 with a rate of 2.33 per 100,000; Arkansas at 4 with a rate of 2.29 per 100,000; Nevada at 5 with a rate of 2.23 per 100,000; Alabama at 6 with a rate of 2.22 per 100,000; New Mexico at 7 with a rate of 2.21 per 100,000; South Carolina at 8 with a rate of 2.04 per 100,000; Oklahoma at 9 with a rate of 2.03 per 100,000; and, Arizona at 10 with a rate of 1.92 per 100,000. Nationally, the rate of women killed by men in single victim/single offender instances was 1.30 per 100,000.

VPC Legislative Director Kristen Rand said, “These findings alarmingly demonstrate how domestic violence can escalate to homicide. More resources need to be made available to protect women and prevent such tragedies.”

Nationwide, 1,865 females were murdered by males in single victim/single offender incidents in 2007. Where weapon use could be determined, firearms were the most common weapon used by males to murder females (847 of 1,657 homicides or 51 percent). Of these, 76 percent (640 of 847) were committed with handguns. In cases where the victim to offender relationship could be identified, 91 percent of female victims (1,587 out of 1,743) were murdered by someone they knew. Of these, 62 percent (990 out of 1,587) were wives or intimate acquaintances of their killers. More than 10 times as many females were murdered by a male they knew than were killed by male strangers. In 88 percent of all incidents where the circumstances could be determined, the homicides were not related to the commission of any other felony, such as rape or robbery.

The numbers tell an alarming story, and the president’s words offer a challenge:

“During this month, we rededicate ourselves to breaking the cycle of violence. By providing young people with education about healthy relationships, and by changing attitudes that support violence, we recognize that domestic violence can be prevented. We must build the capacity of our Nation’s victim service providers to reach and serve those in need. We urge community leaders to raise awareness and bring attention to this quiet crisis. And across America, we encourage victims and their families to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. Together, we must ensure that, in America, no victim of domestic violence ever struggles alone.”

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