Domestic Violence Awareness Month Brings Public Awareness To The Issue
Last Thursday, Los Angeles-based Peace Over Violence (POV) held an open house at their headquarters on Wilshire Boulevard in downtown. The organization, which provides education, outreach and support for victims of sexual and domestic violence, was honoring Domestic Violence Awareness Month, as well as an expansion of service offerings they will be offering to local children and teens.
"This is an expansion for our organization based on our long-term goal to bring healing and respond to trauma across the lifespan," said Heather Masterton, director of development for POV. "Right now we provide services for 13-year-olds though elders. This expansion is focused on child sexual abuse and what is domestic abuse or sexual abuse by an abusive parent."
POV is one of the leading organizations working in Los Angeles to provide support to victims of domestic and sexual violence. One of the core areas of programming POV and other members of the Violence Prevention Coalition (VPC) focus on is the connection between domestic violence and gang violence.
"We see that a lot of violence in the streets begins as violence in the home," said Daniel Healy, community liaison for VPC. As such, a group of advocates meets monthly at City Hall to discuss what is known as the "domestic violence and gang violence nexus."
According to the California Women‘s Health Survey, approximately 40 percent of California women experience physical intimate partner violence in their lifetimes, a rate much higher than the national average of 25 percent.
The Administration for Children and Families’ Division of Family Violence Prevention and Services, a department of Health and Human Services will host a “National Domestic Violence Awareness Unity Call” on Tuesday, Oct. 2, from 3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. EST.
Reach Staff Reporter Ashley Riegle here. Follow her on Twitter here.