Original National Domestic Violence Awareness Month Resolution of 2025

This resolution officially supports the goals and ideals of October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month . It highlights the pervasive nature of domestic violence, defining it as a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. The resolution emphasizes that this issue affects people of all ages, races, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and that a just society must work to eliminate, not just mitigate, domestic violence. The resolution cites alarming statistics, noting that an average of 24 people per minute are victims of intimate partner violence in the U.S., totaling over 12 million individuals annually. It details various forms of abuse, including emotional, physical, economic, digital, and sexual, and underscores that women are disproportionately affected. The text also points out the significant financial and social costs, such as lost workdays, homelessness, and the intergenerational cycle of abuse, with children exposed to violence being more likely to experience negative outcomes. Furthermore, the resolution acknowledges the critical role of domestic violence advocates and shelters, noting that many requests for services go unmet due to a lack of resources. It calls for increased funding for intervention and prevention programs to address this gap. The House of Representatives expresses its commitment to continuing to raise awareness about domestic violence and its devastating effects, and to support initiatives aimed at its eradication.