RESOLUTION RS2017-908

A resolution recognizing October 2017 as Domestic Violence Awareness month.

WHEREAS, domestic violence impacts countless Nashville residents, including children and adults, without regard to age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or economic status; and

WHEREAS, nationally 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime; and 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime; 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, nationally 1 in 7 women and 1 in 18 men have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime to the point in which they felt fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed; and

WHEREAS, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the United States has been raped in their lifetime; and

WHEREAS, almost half of female (46.7%) and male (44.9%) victims of rape in the United States were raped by an acquaintance. Of these, 45.4% of female rape victims and 29% of male rape victims were raped by an intimate partner; and

WHEREAS, nationally 1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence; and

WHEREAS, nationally 72% of all murder-suicides involve an intimate partner, and 94% of the victims of these murder suicides are female; and

WHEREAS, nationally 57% of mass shootings are related to domestic violence; and

WHEREAS, the presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by five hundred percent (500%); and

WHEREAS, intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime; and

WHEREAS, on a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide; and

WHEREAS, although domestic violence is one of the most chronically underreported crimes, domestic violence constitutes 47% of all reported crimes against a person in Nashville-Davidson County; and

WHEREAS, because the most dangerous time for a domestic violence victim is when (s)he is leaving the relationship, crisis intervention and advocacy services for safety planning, danger assessment, order of protection assistance, and resource connection are essential; and

WHEREAS, Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) was launched nationwide in October 1987 as a way to connect and unite individuals and organizations working on domestic violence issues and raise awareness for those issues; and

WHEREAS, over the last three decades, much progress has been made to support domestic violence victims and survivors, to hold abusers accountable, and to create and update legislation to further those goals; and

WHEREAS, since opening in the Fall of 2014, the Office of Family Safety’s Jean Crowe Advocacy Center has seen a 72% increase in the number of domestic violence victims that utilize the Center’s crisis intervention and advocacy services; and

WHEREAS, Metropolitan Government continues to invest financial and personnel resources in efforts to increase domestic violence victim safety and offender accountability; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Metropolitan Council recognizes October 2017 as Domestic Violence Awareness month and urges all citizens of Nashville to support local efforts to assist victims of these crimes in finding the safety, help and healing they need.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:

Section 1. The Metropolitan Council hereby goes on record as recognizing October 2017 as Domestic Violence Awareness month.

Section 2. The Metropolitan Council is directed to prepare a copy of this Resolution to be presented to the Metropolitan Government Office of Family Safety.

Section 3. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.

Sponsored by: Mina Johnson, Jacobia Dowell, Kathleen Murphy, Sheri Weiner, Karen Johnson, Tanaka Vercher, Nancy VanReece, Sharon Hurt, Burkley Allen, Antoinette Lee, Angie Henderson, Erica Gilmore, Brenda Haywood, Davette Blalock, Mary Carolyn Roberts, Holly Huezo, Colby Sledge