SENATE RESOLUTION 53

(By Senators Grady, Rucker, Chapman, Caputo, and Hamilton)

[Introduced February 26, 2024]

Designating February 27, 2024, as Domestic Violence Awareness Day at the Legislature.

Whereas, All people have a right to be safe in their home, school, workplace, college campus, and community; and

Whereas, On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States.  In one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men; and

Whereas, Approximately 26 percent of children under the age of 18 are exposed to domestic violence in their lifetime.  These exposures have long term effects on children leading to post-traumatic stress, poor socialization skills, and normalization of violence as a form of problem-solving; and

Whereas, Eighty-three percent of survivors of intimate partner violence reported that their abusive partners disrupted their ability to work; and

Whereas, The lifetime economic burden of intimate partner violence among United States adults is a $103,767 lifetime cost per female victim and a $23,414 lifetime cost per male victim; and

Whereas, The 2022-2023 fiscal year saw 13,094 individuals that were served by one or more of the 14 licensed domestic violence programs in West Virginia; and

Whereas, Last year, 14 licensed domestic violence programs provided 24/7 crisis intervention services in 55 counties including 68,840 shelter nights, 149,152 units of services, and 10,077 volunteer hours; and

Whereas, Domestic, sexual violence, and child abuse can be deterred, prevented, and reduced through a large network of private, public, and nonprofit entities working together as coalitions providing social, legal, medical, educational, and protective services for victims of domestic, sexual violence, and child abuse; and

Whereas, The West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence has been working for 43 years to provide safe spaces, quality services, and systemic change to give individuals, children, and families options for building lives free from violence; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate:

That the Senate hereby designates February 27, 2024, as Domestic Violence Awareness Day at the Legislature; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence.