Designating an Awareness Month: Domestic Violence, It’s not just a Cause, it’s a CRIME.

Our research of National Awareness Month initiatives brought to light State and Federal crimes that are assigned a National Awareness Month title. The month of April is assigned to Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness.  These crimes share the month of April with causes such as Alcohol Awareness, National Autism Awareness and Tsunami Awareness.

Most of us recognize October for causes such as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  October also plays host to National Down Syndrome Awareness Month; National Gay and Lesbian History Month; National Home Indoor Air Quality and National Dental Hygiene Month, to name a few.  October is also National Domestic Violence Awareness Month — a crime.

According to Webster, awareness means “having or showing realization, perception, or knowledge.”  All of the causes mentioned are well deserving of 30+ days to bring about knowledge, provoke thought and action, and most of all raise much needed awareness and dollars to generate cures and solutions.

Domestic Violence, Child Abuse and Sexual Assault are not just causes, although they too require awareness and realization to encourage action to end their far-reaching effects, but they are also crimes.  As a society should we designate National Armed Robbery Awareness Month, National Vehicular Homicide Awareness Month or National Grand Theft Auto Awareness Month?

Awareness is the key to all things that need change.  First and foremost our society needs to be educated on the staggering statistics of these violent offences.  We must come to the realization that Child Abuse, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence are not just causes, they are crimes.   As the crimes listed above illustrate, an awareness month designation, alone, will not stop the violence.  These crimes must be prosecuted and penalties must be assigned.

Society doesn’t hold rallies, host awareness walks and runs to raise money to help those who suffer from the crimes of robbery, homicide or auto theft.  We look to police enforcement and the judicial system to prosecute these crimes.  Armed robbers, murderers and car thieves are usually given a prison sentence, while armed, dangerous, domestic violence offenders are often ordered to therapy, anger management classes, batterer intervention or worse… get to go back home again?

Oklahoma ranked #4 in the rate of women murdered by men according to a Violence Policy Center report in 2007. We are all responsible to change these figures:  citizens, clergy, police, lawyers, judges, and congress alike.  The Community Learning Council (CLC) is dedicated to changing the cycle of violence one child at a time, one mother at a time, one father at a time.  We have so much work ahead of us, but we are not deterred, rather challenged to move society forward.

Victims of child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault don’t deserve a month, they deserve JUSTICE.

Copyright, Community Learning Council, Inc. 2009