WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Metropolitan Council recognizes October 2020 as Domestic Violence Awareness month and acknowledges that this is a way to connect and unite individuals and organizations working on domestic violence issues in order to raise awareness for those issues. The Council further urges all citizens of Nashville to support local efforts to assist victims of these crimes in finding the safety, help, and healing they need; and
WHEREAS, Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) evolved from the “National Day of Unity” held in October 1981 and was conceived by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and
WHEREAS, nationally, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experience some form of physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime; and
WHEREAS, on average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States, which equates to more than 10 million women and men per year; and
WHEREAS, 1 in 7 women and 1 in 18 men have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime to the point in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed; and
WHEREAS, on a typical day, there are more than 200,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide; and
WHEREAS, only 34 percent of people who are injured by intimate partners receive medical care for their injuries; and
WHEREAS, this year’s COVID-19 pandemic has made domestic violence awareness even more important. The Metro Office of Family Safety’s Jean Crowe Advocacy Center has seen a 270 percent increase in the number of domestic violence victims that utilize the Center’s crisis intervention and advocacy services between April to October of this year as compared to the same time last year; and
WHEREAS, from March 2019 to March 2020, the Nashville YWCA has seen an increase in calls to their Crisis & Support Helpline of 30 percent. In May 2020 alone, the YWCA saw a 46 percent spike in calls. The YWCA also implemented a Crisis Text Line at the beginning of the pandemic, and texts have more than tripled since opening. This month marks the 20th anniversary of the YWCA’s Weaver Domestic Violence Center and over four decades of the YWCA fighting against domestic violence in Middle Tennessee; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Government will continue to invest financial and personnel resources in efforts to increase domestic violence victim safety and offender accountability.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. The Metropolitan Council hereby goes on record as recognizing October 2020 as Domestic Violence Awareness month in Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee.
Section 2. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.