JACKSON, Wyo. — On Monday, Oct. 6, Mayor Arne Jorgensen proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, encouraging community members to be part of the solution by pledging to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence.
According to the Town of Jackson, every year, domestic violence affects more than 10 million people in the U.S.
Jorgensen read in the proclamation that domestic violence’s effects extend out from the
survivor like a web to children, families, schools, workplaces, economies and entire communities.
“All of us deserve healthy relationships that promote our safety and well-being,” Jorgesen read. “It is an extreme cruelty of domestic violence that the person one should love and trust the most is the source of terror and suffering.”
Jorgensen read that harmful myths can perpetuate false beliefs, including the assumption that the only or worse kind of abuse is physical violence, that all victims are women, that domestic violence is a private issue or that someone can “just leave.” He said that psychological and financial abuse can be “just as insidious and challenging to escape as physical violence.”
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, over one in three women have experienced stalking, rape and/or physical violence from an intimate partner, as well as one in four men.
The proclamation states that domestic violence is not a private issue – it is a public health epidemic that requires family members, peers and colleagues to help prevent it.
“A business owner may host Community Service Network (CSN) to train their employees on supporting survivors,” Jorgensen read. “A parent may teach their child the red flags of unhealthy relationships. A sibling may share CSN or Victim Service’s helplines. A stylist may encourage a client to believe they deserve better. A restaurant manager may place CSN stickers in every bathroom stall. A survivor may be supported by Victim Services throughout the investigation and criminal justice process. A neighbor may express their concern, and anyone can say ‘I believe you, you’re not alone.'”
The Town, Teton County Victim Services, CSN, the Wyoming Division of Victim Services and the Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault all encourage community leaders, co-workers, friends and loved ones to take a personal pledge to end domestic violence.
