October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. To increase the public’s awareness of domestic violence, the city and school district are joining forces to provide education and activities to get people involved in prevention.
Statistics supplied by the Dallas Domestic Violence Taskforce indicate that nearly 20 people in the U.S. are physically abused by an intimate partner every minute with a sometimes deadly toll on families, children and communities. According to the Texas Council on Family Violence some experts and law enforcement officials are of the opinion that fatalities due to family violence are identifiable, knowable and preventable.
These statistics explain why Dallas ISD’s Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Office is supporting the Taskforce’s call to Paint the Town Purple. The campaign aims to unify the community to speak out against domestic violence. A full calendar of activities is planned to get people involved in talking about and acting to reduce incidents of violence between domestic partners.
Wearing a purple ribbon in your lapel, painting a fingernail purple, wearing purple to work and putting a purple ribbon on your front door or tree are all ways to express solidarity with domestic violence victims. Homeowner groups holding National Night Out celebrations this week are asked to distribute ribbons and raise the issue in their communities. Purple ribbons are available at Dallas library branches and city recreation centers. A city hall breakfast, several 5K fun runs, and other activities are planned throughout the month.
To contact Dallas ISD’s Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Office to request educational materials or presentations, call 888-572-2873, or email childabuse@dallasisd.org.
The office recommends these websites to access education and prevention information:
- The Texas Council on Family Violence – http://tcfv.org/resource-center/learn-the-facts/
- The Prevalence and Consequences of Teen Dating Violence – http://txssc.txstate.edu/topics/school-violence/articles/consequences-of-dating-violence
- Genesis Women’s Shelter – www.genesisshelter.org
- Family Place – www.familyplace.org
