Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 191 / Wednesday, October 4, 2017 / Presidential Documents 46359 

Proclamation 9649 of September 29, 2017 

National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, 2017 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

Domestic violence is never acceptable. During National Domestic Violence 

Awareness Month, I call on all Americans to promote the safety and liberty 

of the women, men, and children who are subjected to violent, intimidating, 

or controlling behavior at the hands of those closest to them. 

All humans have inherent dignity, and no one deserves to be in an abusive 

relationship. While the rate of domestic violence in our country has decreased 

over the last two decades, domestic violence continues to spread across 

our Nation. Nearly 1 in 4 American women aged 18 and older have been 

the victim of physical violence by an intimate partner, and domestic violence 

is still the leading cause of injury to women. Emotional abuse is also 

sadly too prevalent in our communities, and can inflict deep scars on 

those caught in an up-and-down cycle of belittling, aggressive behavior 

even in what can feel like a healthy relationship. 

We share a moral obligation to recognize, address, and stop domestic violence. Each of us must be a voice for those suffering in silence and must 

speak up when we see signs of physical or emotional abuse. Together 

we can bolster victims’ support networks and encourage and empower them 

to report offenses. 

We recognize and applaud the many advocates, clergy, victim-service providers, educators, law enforcement officers, family members, and friends 

who render daily aid to victims of harmful and destructive relationships, 

often as first responders. Tens of thousands of women and children find 

refuge in domestic violence emergency shelters and transition housing each 

day, but thousands more are turned away. That is why the Department 

of Health and Human Services and the Department of Housing and Urban 

Development are engaged in the critical work of funding domestic violence 

shelters and hotlines. And each year, the Department of Justice Office on 

Violence Against Women awards hundreds of millions of Federal grant 

dollars to support law enforcement efforts to assist victims and hold offenders 

accountable. 

During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I encourage Americans 

affected by domestic violence to seek help. Your neighbors, places of worship, 

community, and Nation stand ready to support you. I remain deeply committed to ensuring that our Nation is one where all may live free of fear, 

violence, and abuse, especially in their own homes. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2017 as 

National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I call on all Americans to 

stand firm in condemning domestic violence and supporting victims of 

these crimes in finding the safety and recovery they need and to support, 

recognize, and trust in the efforts of law enforcement to hold offenders 

accountable, protect victims of crime and their communities, and prevent 

future violence. 


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46360 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 191 / Wednesday, October 4, 2017 / Presidential Documents 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth 

day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand seventeen, and 

of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 

and forty-second. 

[FR Doc. 2017–21552 

Filed 10–3–17; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 3295–F7–P 


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