Comprehensive Plan for Domestic Violence Prevention Unveiled

The National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) announced Wednesday an ambitious plan to dramatically reduce the occurrence of domestic violence over the next 10 years. In conjunction with the United States Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women, the NDVH developed the "Decade for Change Report," which will provide a comprehensive plan to prevent domestic violence.

"As a society, we can and need to do more to stop the cycle of violence before it starts," said Sheryl Cates, CEO of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. "The Decade for Change Report provides the unique opportunity to not only develop viable solutions for primary prevention, but importantly, it is the first step in creating a unified national movement to end domestic violence."

Domestic violence is an alarmingly common problem in the United States; it is estimated that 4 million American women are victims of a serious assault at the hands of their partner during the average year. According to the NDVH, 37 percent of women who required emergency room treatment for violence-related injuries were injured by a current or former spouse or significant other. While awareness of domestic violence has been on the rise, attempts to reduce it have not yielded the desired results.

"Despite significant efforts over the past decade to address the problem of domestic violence in our country, 33 million American women continue to experience abuse every year," said Cates. In order to find an effective method to reduce domestic violence, three Summit meetings were held during the past year. The meetings brought together more than 120 professionals representing the public and private sectors, domestic violence services, and faith communities, as well as state and federal officials. These panelists worked with media, education, and mental health professionals to design the Decade for Change Report.