SENATE RESOLUTION 58

By Senators Cole (Mr. President), Stollings, Ashley, Unger, Kessler, Prezioso, Williams and Plymale

[Introduced March 2, 2016]

Designating March 2, 2016, as Domestic Violence Prevention Day.

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

Whereas, During the fiscal year 2014-2015, approximately fifteen thousand individuals were served by one or more of the fourteen licensed domestic violence programs in West Virginia, six of which also provide rape crisis services; and

Whereas, Domestic and sexual violence erode the infrastructure of our families, our social makeup and our culture, and threaten the integrity of our future; and

Whereas, Stalking is often a factor in domestic and sexual violence and a serious offense in its own right; and

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

Whereas, In 2014, domestic and sexual violence offenses were major law enforcement problems within West Virginia and over eight thousand domestic violence offenses were committed requiring over two hundred twenty thousand hours spent by law enforcement investigating incidents of domestic violence; and

Whereas, In 2014, twenty-one homicides in our state were the result of domestic violence; and

Whereas, Women are three times more likely than males to be murdered by an intimate partner; and

Whereas, Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults; and

Whereas, One in six women and one in twenty-one men will be victims of rape or attempted rape in West Virginia; and

Whereas, 19.3 million women and 5.1 million men in the United States have been stalked in their lifetime; and

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

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

Resolved by the Senate:

That the Senate hereby designates March 2, 2016, as Domestic Violence Prevention Day; 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.