Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) is a national campaign dedicated to raising awareness about domestic violence. Every October, organizations and individuals unite across the country for a national effort to uplift the needs, voices, and experiences of survivors. Congress declared the month of October to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month in 1989.
For DVAM 2024, the Domestic Violence Awareness Project is proud to build on the theme Heal, Hold & Center, first launched in 2023. “This DVAM and beyond, we must work together, embrace the many cultural ways we can heal from violence and oppression, commit to holding space for survivors, and center those most marginalized in all of our efforts to end domestic violence. As we heal, hold, and center survivors, especially those navigating anti-Blackness and other systems of oppression, we remain grounded in the knowledge that there is no survivor justice without racial justice.”
The Domestic Violence Awareness Project states that this is an intentional pause and moment of recognition and togetherness for advocates and survivors across the country. Who do you want to celebrate? This #CallforUnity asks each of us to commit to reconnection with those we honor and appreciate in this work to end and heal from domestic violence. Tag an advocate who embodies what it means to Heal, Hold & Center survivors. Post your commitment to connective action for DVAM 2024 on your social media platforms at #CallforUnity throughout the month of October.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women and one in four men have been victims of physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime. There are many forms of domestic abuse which can be verbal, emotional and/or physical and it’s important to understand how these behaviors interact so that you know where to ask for help.
Join the National Institute of Health (NIH)’s “Purple Thursday” campaign on Thursday, October 17, by wearing purple to show our support for those who have experience domestic violence and abuse and let them know that help is available for themselves and their families. To participate in supporting DVAM/Purple Thursday, please share a photo of you wearing purple with the NIH Civil Branch on Wellness@NIH Facebook Page.
If you, or someone you know, is a suffering from domestic violence, you can reach out to the Domestic Violence Hotline via their website where you can Chat Live, call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233), or Text “START” to 88788.
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