II

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 91

Designating October 1993 and October 1994 as ‘‘National Domestic Violence

Awareness Month’’.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MAY 11 (legislative day, APRIL 19), 1993

Mr. SPECTER introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice

and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

JOINT RESOLUTION

Designating October 1993 and October 1994 as ‘‘National

Domestic Violence Awareness Month’’.

Whereas it is estimated that a woman is battered every fifteen seconds in America;

Whereas domestic violence is the single largest cause of injury to women in the United States, affecting six million

women;

Whereas rural and urban women of all racial, social, religious, ethnic, and economic groups of all ages, physical

abilities and lifestyles are affected by domestic violence;

Whereas increasing evidence indicates that there are large

numbers of immigrant women trapped in violent homes,

isolated by abusive spouses who use the threat of deportation to maintain power and control over them;
2

SJ 91 IS

Whereas violence escalates in both frequency and severity

over time, becoming greatest at and after separation,

when women are 75 percent more likely to be killed;

Whereas 40 percent of female homicide victims in 1991 were

killed by their husbands or boyfriends;

Whereas in 1991, at least twenty-one thousand domestic

crimes against women were reported to the police each

week;

Whereas one-fifth of all reported aggravated assaults—assaults where the victim suffered serious bodily injury—

occur in domestic violence situations;

Whereas 74 percent of employed battered women are harassed by their abusive partners at work, causing 54 percent to miss at least three full days of work a month and

20 percent to lose their jobs;

Whereas 35 percent of medical emergency visits by women

are the result of domestic violence, and 25–45 percent of

all battered women are battered during pregnancy;

Whereas one-third of the domestic violence incidents involve

felonies such as rape, robbery, and aggravated assault;

Whereas in 50 percent of families where the wife is being

abused, the children of that family are also being abused;

Whereas some individuals in our law enforcement, medical,

religious, mental health, and judicial systems continue to

think of spousal abuse as a ‘‘private’’ matter and are

hesitant to intervene and treat domestic assault as a

crime;

Whereas in 1991 over four hundred and fifty thousand

women, plus their children, were provided emergency

shelter in domestic violence shelters and safehomes;
3

SJ 91 IS

Whereas 40 percent of women in need of shelter may be

turned away due to lack of shelter space;

Whereas the nationwide efforts to help the victims of domestic violence need to be expanded and coordinated;

Whereas there is a need to increase the public awareness and

understanding of domestic violence and the needs of battered women and their children; and

Whereas the dedication and successes of those working to end

domestic violence and the strength of the survivors of domestic violence should be recognized: Now, therefore, be

it

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 That each of the months October 1993 and October 1994

4 is designated as ‘‘National Domestic Violence Awareness

5 Month’’. The President is authorized and requested to

6 issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United

7 States to observe this month by becoming more aware of

8 the tragedy of domestic violence, supporting those who are

9 working to end domestic violence, and participating in

10 other appropriate efforts.

Æ