Oklahoma Domestic Violence Awareness Month Events Get Underway

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and Oklahoma State Attorney General Drew Edmondson has announced a month long series of events to raise awareness and reduce the shame and silence surrounding the chronic issue.

"Two years ago, the attorney general's office became the certifying agency for Oklahoma's domestic and sexual violence service providers, but we have been working for nearly a decade to increase awareness of this issue in our state" Edmondson said. "Domestic violence is a crime. People who are suffering at the hands of an abuser should feel safe in coming forward. For them, there should be no shame. The shame should lie with the perpetrators."

Edmondson has a long history of targeting domestic abuse, creating the Victims' Services Unit in the attorney general' s office over 10 years ago.

Posters illustrating the theme "Domestic Violence: Tell Someone" will be on display at the attorney general's office through the end of the month. Sexual violence and domestic service providers, along with children, collected the posters exploring the questions, "Who should you tell? and "What would you tell?"

"We want these kids to know that abusive behavior is not OK," Edmondson said. "If they or someone in their home is being abused, we want it to be clear that they should tell police officers or teachers or other family members. We want them to know where to go for help."

The Third Annual Capitol Dome Lighting Ceremony will be held October 3rd in Oklahoma City, in which the dome of the state capitol building will be lit in purple, the color of domestic violence awareness. The lighting ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m., with speakers including Attorney General Edmondson and a performance from an Oklahoma City school choir.

"Lighting the capitol dome in purple is a great way to bring attention to the issue of domestic violence," said Jan Peery, Executive CEO of YWCA Oklahoma City. "We hope that this encourages discussion on this important issue."