THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY R. BROWN, SCAVELLO, DUNBAR, BARRAR, BOBACK, BOYD, BRENNAN, BROOKS, CAUSER, DAVIS, DiGIROLAMO, FABRIZIO, GERGELY, GILLEN, GINGRICH, HAHN, HARHART, HARPER, HEFFLEY, KAVULICH, KNOWLES, KORTZ, LONGIETTI, MAJOR, MALONEY, MARSICO, MICOZZIE, MILLARD, MILLER, MIRABITO, MOUL, MULLERY, OBERLANDER, PICKETT, RAPP, RAVENSTAHL, READSHAW, ROCK, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCHRODER, SONNEY, STEPHENS, STERN, STEVENSON, SWANGER, TALLMAN, WATSON AND MARSHALL, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011  

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing the month of October 2011 as "Domestic Violence

Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior

used to establish power and control over an intimate partner;

and

WHEREAS, Domestic violence often causes emotional harm to

victims, their children, other family members, friends,

neighbors and coworkers; and

WHEREAS, Domestic violence affects men and women in all

racial, ethnic, religious, educational, social and economic

backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, Domestic violence takes many forms, whereby victims

are often subjected to abuse, harassment, threats, vandalism,

trespassing, burglary, theft and stalking; and

WHEREAS, Domestic violence is often escalated, causing

victims to suffer physical and emotional trauma, anxiety,

stress, sleep deprivation, loss of confidence, fear and, in some

cases, injury and death by suicide or homicide; and

WHEREAS, Domestic violence is one of the most chronically

underreported crimes; and

WHEREAS, There are many barriers to detecting domestic

violence; and

WHEREAS, One in every four women and one in every nine men

will experience domestic violence in his or her lifetime; and

WHEREAS, One in six women and one in 33 men have experienced

an attempted or completed rape; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are

physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the

United States; and

WHEREAS, Thirty to sixty percent of perpetrators of intimate

partner violence also abuse children in the home; and

WHEREAS, Intimate partner violence results in more than 18.5

million mental health care visits each year; and

WHEREAS, The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $5.8

billion each year, $4.1 billion of which is for direct medical

and mental health services; and

WHEREAS, Less than 20% of victims who report an injury from

intimate partner violence seek medical treatment following the

injury; and

WHEREAS, Children who witness domestic violence in their

homes are 74% more likely to commit criminal assaults as adults;

and

WHEREAS, Victims of domestic violence lose almost 8 million

days of paid work annually as a result of the violence; and

WHEREAS, Each year, businesses forfeit about $100 million in

lost wages, sick leave, absenteeism and nonproductivity; and

WHEREAS, Only about 20% of those who experience intimate

partner violence obtain Protection from Abuse orders; and

WHEREAS, Each year, domestic violence programs in

Pennsylvania provide services to approximately 95,000 victims of

domestic violence; and

WHEREAS, To increase victims' safety, authorities must

carefully follow screening, reporting, documentation and

referral requirements; and

WHEREAS, At-risk individuals and families need victim

education relating to their legal rights, judicial proceedings,

advocacy, counseling and support services, shelter care and

crisis intervention; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the

month of October 2011 as "Domestic Violence Awareness Month" in

Pennsylvania.