Unfortunately, domestic violence can be best described as a silent epidemic , for it occurs in the privacy of a home, and those involved are usually reluctant to talk about it. Since my days as a prosecutor and judge, I have viewed domestic violence as one of our community s toughest challenges. In fact, it includes any type of violence occurring in any type of family. Although the term domestic violence is commonly used to describe the abuse women suffer at the hands of men, it knows no boundaries.
Domestic violence can take many forms.
It can be physical, sexual, psychological, or social. Violence generally refers to behavior which results in humiliation, damage, or injury, causing someone to live in fear of another person s behavior. We here in Congress have taken important steps to eradicate this scourge on our society. The bill uses common-sense enforcement reforms to protect children from abuse and neglect, without increasing federal spending or imposing unfunded mandates upon states. The Child Abuse Prevention Act passed the House overwhelmingly and was introduced in the other body by Ohio Senator Mike DeWine on October 19th.