October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Although Domestic Violence Awareness Month is coming to a close today, the need for increased awareness and support continues for one of our country’s greatest public health crises.

One out of every three women and one in 10 men will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes. In Massachusetts, domestic violence is one of the leading causes of family homelessness according to information from Health Imperatives.

Every October, individuals and organizations come together to stand up against abuse and raise awareness for this epidemic during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Yet awareness and support are needed year-round.

Are you or someone you know a victim of domestic abuse? There is help available in your area. Call the Health Imperatives 24/7 domestic violence hotline at 508-588-8255.

Some facts about domestic violence:

• On average it takes a survivor of violence seven tries before she/he is able to leave the abuser for good.
• American women lose more than eight million days of paid work each year as a result of violence.
• Domestic violence affects individuals from all walks of life, cutting across all racial and ethnic lines and affecting individuals from all socio-economic groups and sexual orientations.
• Domestic violence has long-lasting and devastating physical, emotional, and economic effects on survivors and their children.

Last year, Health Imperatives provided counseling and support services to 960 Massachusetts survivors of violence, assisted 554 people file restraining orders and plan for their safety, and sheltered 42 families and individuals who were homeless as a result of domestic violence. You are not alone.

Health Imperatives provides trauma-informed health and human services to low-income or vulnerable residents in communities stretching from Quincy to Nantucket. The organization’s domestic violence programs are located in Brockton and serve all of Plymouth County. Health Imperatives also provides health care services at its nine Family Planning clinics located in Attleboro, Brockton, Hyannis, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, New Bedford, Plymouth, Wareham, and Weymouth. For more information visit www.healthimperatives.org.