This October: Taking action for survivors of domestic violence
Photo Courtesy of MesserWoland- Wikimedia Commons
Each October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) is honored, as per the Domestic Violence Awareness Project. Last October, according to the project’s website, DVAM was recognized with the theme of “With Survivors, Always.” This year, the theme of the month is “Survivors deserve action.” The Domestic Violence Awareness Project is “building on that momentum” generated in 2025, and hopes to inspire people to “move from awareness to action.”
In 1981, The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence saw its first “Day of Unity” recognized in October, which was meant “to connect advocates across the nation who were working to end violence against women and their children,” according to the Texas Council on Family Violence. National Domestic Violence Awareness Month eventually “evolved from the Day of Unity.” Years later, “[i]n October 1987, the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed,” as documented by the Texas Council on Family Violence.
According to statistics published by the National Domestic Violence Hotline, “[a]n average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States.” More specifically, “Over 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.” In over 20 percent of domestic violence cases between intimate partners, children were witnesses, and “[o]ne study found that children exposed to violence in the home were 15 times more likely to be physically and/or sexually assaulted than the national average,” according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Survivors of domestic violence are also more likely to suffer from mental illnesses, such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, or self-harm.
As the theme of this year’s DVAM suggests, taking action can be invaluable to survivors of domestic violence. The New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) reports that taking action to “[i]nitiate a conversation” with survivors of DV, “[b]elieve victims,” “[v]alidate [their] feelings,” and “[c]hallenge false attitudes and beliefs that you may have about domestic or sexual violence” are great ways to support those in need after they have experienced domestic violence.
The OPDV further notes that recognizing the signs of domestic violence can be helpful in supporting survivors; signs may include, as documented by OPDV, physical injuries such as “bruises, cuts, burns, human bite marks, and broken bones” or “injuries during pregnancy, miscarriage, or premature births.” Other signs could include “stress-related illnesses like headaches, backaches, constant pain, gastrointestinal disorders; depression and thinking about or attempting suicide,” or “alcohol or other drug problems.” Also via the OPDV website, survivors—or those helping a loved one who experienced domestic or sexual violence—can search for their nearest domestic violence service providers or regional hotlines.
Many of the DV service providers listed on the OPDV website offer both residential and non-residential services. As the Resilience program, which works to prevent domestic violence through advocacy, details on their website, “For many survivors, safety is not guaranteed when they stay [in abusive relationships] or when they go. Safety often relies on timing, planning, and support.” Dangers such as “[t]hreats, emotional pressure, and retaliation can continue or intensify during that time, making the decision even more complicated.” There are many resources that can help support survivors actively escaping a domestic violence relationship, including “shelter programs, advocacy services, transitional housing, support groups, supervised visitation centers, outreach, and counseling services,” according to The National Library of Medicine.
RESTORE Sexual Assault Services offers 24-hour hotlines, as well as both sexual and domestic violence resources in Central and Western New York, including Livingston County. Victims of sexual and domestic violence can reach out to hotlines for help, and there are many actions we can take to help those surviving these types of violence—during Domestic Violence Awareness Month and all year.