IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 944 

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness 

Month and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

Congress should raise awareness of domestic violence in the United 

States and its devastating effects on families and communities. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 25, 2006 

Mr. POE (for himself, Mr. COSTA, Ms. HARRIS, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Mr. 

ORTIZ, Mr. HOLDEN, and Ms. HART) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and expressing the sense of the 

House of Representatives that Congress should raise 

awareness of domestic violence in the United States and 

its devastating effects on families and communities. 

Whereas October 2006 is to be recognized as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a month for activities 

furthering the awareness of domestic violence; 

Whereas one in four women will fall victim to domestic violence in her life; 

Whereas women ages 16 to 24 experience the highest rates, 

per capita, of intimate partner violence; 


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Whereas 70 percent of teenage girls and college women who 

are raped are raped during the course of a date; 

Whereas 13 percent of teenage girls who have been in a relationship report being hit or hurt by their partners; 

Whereas one in four teenage girls has been in a relationship 

in which she was pressured into performing sexual acts 

by her partner; 

Whereas one study found that 25 percent of girls in 8th or 

9th grade have been victims of non-sexual violence and 

eight percent have been victims of sexual violence; 

Whereas there is a need for middle schools, secondary 

schools, and post-secondary schools to educate students 

about the issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking; 

Whereas 30 to 50 percent of dating relationships exhibit the 

same kind of escalating violence as marital relationships; 

Whereas the costs of intimate partner violence annually exceeds $5.8 billion, including $4.1 billion in direct medical 

and mental health care services for victims of domestic 

violence; 

Whereas domestic violence has been estimated to cost employers anywhere from $3 to 13 billion per year in the United 

States due to loss of productivity, workdays missed, and 

the cost of increased health care due to domestic violencerelated injuries; 

Whereas landlords frequently deny housing to victims of domestic violence who have protection orders or evict victims of domestic violence for seeking help, such as by 

calling 911, after a domestic violence incident or who 

have other indications that they are domestic violence victims; 


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Whereas 92 percent of homeless women experience severe 

physical or sexual abuse at some point in their lifetimes; 

Whereas one study indicates that nearly 46 percent of homeless women reported staying in an abusive relationship 

because they had nowhere else to go; 

Whereas 40 to 60 percent of men who abuse women also 

abuse children; 

Whereas men who witness domestic violence as children are 

twice as likely to abuse their own partners; 

Whereas children who witness domestic violence are more 

likely to attempt suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run 

away from home, and engage in teenage prostitution; 

Whereas the media is increasingly reporting stories of men 

involved in domestic violence cases who kill their spouses 

and often their children before committing suicide; 

Whereas, according to one study, during court ordered visitation, five percent of abusive fathers threaten to kill their 

spouses, 34 percent of abusive fathers threaten to kidnap 

their children, and 25 percent of abusive fathers threaten 

to physically hurt their children; 

Whereas homicide is the third leading cause of death for Native American women and 75 percent of Native American 

women who are killed are killed by a family member or 

an acquaintance; 

Whereas there is a need to increase public awareness and understanding of domestic violence and the needs of battered women, men, and children; 

Whereas there is a need to increase funding for programs 

carried out under the Violence Against Women Act of 

1994 (Public Law 103–322; 108 Stat. 1902 et seq.) 


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aimed at intervening and preventing domestic violence in 

the United States; and 

Whereas individuals and organizations that are dedicated to 

preventing and ending domestic violence should be recognized: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of National 

3 Domestic Violence Awareness Month; and 

4 (2) expresses the sense of the House of Rep5 resentatives that Congress should continue to raise 

6 awareness of domestic violence in the United States 

7 and its devastating effects on families and commu8 nities. 

Æ 


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