Honoring Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2015

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), an opportunity to pause as a nation and collectively reflect on the dynamics and impact of interpersonal violence; to recognize the lived experiences of women and men who have been victimized at the hands of an intimate partner; and, to celebrate the strength and will of survivors.

DVAM, however, is more than a time to spread awareness.

Domestic violence affects millions of Americans, including 1 in 4 women in their lifetime.  With a problem of this scale, the month of October is a reminder of the work that’s been done – and which still remains – to end the violence and to prevent future generations from experiencing its harmful effects.  DVAM is a call to action.  Indeed, in the 2015 National Domestic Violence Awareness Month Proclamation, President Obama affirms:

    “Safeguarding and opening doors of opportunity for every American will remain a driving focus for our country – and we know that crimes like domestic violence inhibit our Nation from reaching its fullest potential. This month, let us once again pledge our unwavering support to those in need and recognize the advocates, victim service providers, and organizations who work tirelessly to extend hope and healing to survivors and victims every day.”

Over the last 20 years, the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has supported the efforts of those on the front lines to answer the call.  After the enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) on September 13, 1994, OVW was created the following year and tasked with leading the Federal government in helping communities to implement this groundbreaking legislation.   Specifically, OVW administers grant programs and provides training and technical assistance for criminal justice agencies, victim service organizations, and other state, local, and tribal entities to combat not only domestic violence, but also sexual assault, dating violence, sex trafficking, and stalking. 

Highlights from this past year alone demonstrate the unique ways in which OVW’s financial and technical assistance offer opportunities for communities to develop, strengthen, and sustain their anti-violence efforts:

    In honor of VAWA’s 20th anniversary, last October OVW embarked on a year-long national tour, meeting with advocates, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, healthcare professionals, and other leaders across the country to learn more about their initiatives to curb domestic and sexual violence.  OVW gathered vital information about the impact of VAWA funding as well as both victories and challenges communities experience in addressing violence.

    The tour inspired robust dialogue with stakeholders on a wide range of issues, including the importance of assessing and improving the coordinated community response – a cornerstone of effective violence prevention.  In addition, persistent service needs were identified, such as: safe and affordable housing options for survivors, more victim-centered legal services, trauma-informed approaches within healthcare settings, and culturally-specific services with an understanding of the distinct ways in which domestic violence impacts vulnerable populations, such as women of color, those living in poverty, LGBT individuals, and women with disabilities.

    Momentum around implementation of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013) accelerated over the last year, prompting a need for additional OVW response.

    In April, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed a rule to implement the VAWA 2013 protections in nearly all HUD programs. The final rule will more adequately support victims desiring to leave their abusers by reducing fear of homelessness and housing discrimination. OVW has provided input on the proposed rule and will collaborate with grantees and other stakeholders to support effective implementation of the final rule.

    In March, another VAWA 2013 provision took effect that increases protection for Native women by recognizing a “special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction” over persons who commit this crime in Indian country.  Tribes now have the authority to charge and prosecute all offenders who commit acts of domestic violence on their lands. In DOJ’s upcoming Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation in November, this critical provision and related topics concerning violence against Native women will be discussed.

    OVW funding supported the development of several comprehensive online resources for advocates, service providers, policymakers, and others this year.

    This summer, OVW announced The Center for Changing Our Campus Culture [external link], a clearinghouse on domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking for institutions of higher education.  The website provides the latest information, materials, and resources for administrators, faculty and staff, law enforcement, victim service providers, students, parents and others invested in improving campus safety and the wellbeing of college and university students.

    Just last month, the Vera Institute of Justice unveiled the first website dedicated to ending abuse against people with disabilities [external link]. Through various tools and guidance, the site seeks to raise awareness of these often “invisible victims,” enhance services for survivors with disabilities, and connect those advocating for this population.

Finally, OVW grant support is playing a key role in realizing an improved criminal justice response to crimes like domestic violence and sexual assault.  OVW released a $2.8 million funding opportunity for a Sexual Assault Justice Initiative to improve prosecutions and the justice system’s overall handling of sexual assault cases.  Additionally, over $26 million in OVW grants were recently awarded to strengthen arrest policies, enforcement of protection orders, and partnerships between criminal justice agencies and community-based organizations striving to improve victim safety and offender accountability.

As the President reminds us, “Though we have made great progress in bringing awareness to and providing protections against domestic violence, much work remains to be done.” This October, OVW joins its Federal and community partners in looking back at our successes while also marching forward to continue the momentum.  Month to month, step by step, we can change our culture and break the cycle of violence for good.

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Delivers Remarks at Justice Department Event in Recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Washington, DC

United States

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Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Remarks as prepared for delivery

Thank you, Associate Attorney General [Stuart] Delery, for that kind introduction – and for your hard work on the vital issues that we are here today to discuss.  It’s a pleasure to welcome everyone to the department this afternoon and it’s a privilege to join so many distinguished tribal leaders, dedicated colleagues and passionate advocates for this important conversation about the challenges we face, the progress we’ve made and the work we’ll continue to do – together – to ensure the safety, security and well-being of the communities we love.

It is a tragic fact that violence affects women of every background in every region of the United States.  But the story is even worse for women in Indian Country, where in recent years violence against women has become an epidemic.  The numbers, as you know all too well, are shocking.  According to a nationwide survey by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), one-third of American Indian women experience rape.  A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that nearly 40 percent of Native women have been victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by a spouse or partner.  And an NIJ-funded survey found that, on some reservations, Native women are murdered at a rate more than 10 times the national average. Until recently, jurisdictional issues, flawed statutes and insufficient resources prevented tribal and federal law enforcement from effectively addressing these heinous acts, especially when the perpetrators weren’t Indians – even when the incident involved a non-Indian man assaulting his Indian wife on tribal land.

This has been a fraught and deeply challenging issue.  But with the decisive action and vital partnership of leaders across Indian Country – including many of the men and women in this room – we have made encouraging progress, most notably through the bipartisan passage of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA), which incorporated provisions recommended by the Justice Department that, for the first time in decades, empower Indian women who experience abuse by non-Native men.  That historic piece of legislation recognized tribes’ inherent ability to exercise special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction over all offenders on their lands.  It made clear that tribal courts are fully entitled to enforce civil protection orders.  And it strengthened federal sentences for certain acts of domestic violence in Indian Country, ensuring that wrongdoers are held wholly accountable for their crimes, regardless of where they occur.

The leaders of the Tulalip and the Pascua Yaqui tribes have led the way in implementing these essential provisions.  Along with Oregon’s Umatilla tribe, you were the first three tribes to be selected as part of a pilot project to exercise your jurisdiction in domestic violence matters before the law took full effect this past March.  Thanks to your determination, perseverance and vigilance, you demonstrated that with greater control over your own lands and closer partnership with the federal government, justice can and will be done.  Over the course of the pilot year, more than 25 cases have been brought against non-Indians by tribal prosecutors – and more than 200 defendants have been charged under VAWA’s enhanced federal assault statutes.  Just as crucially, you’ve been working to ensure that other tribes can replicate and build upon your promising success through your participation in the Department of Justice’s Inter-Tribal Working Group, where you’ve described your experiences, recommended best practices and shared tools and technical assistance with more than 40 fellow nations.  Your sustained and concerted efforts send a clear message that no individual is above the law and that no one should ever be denied the law’s protection – no matter who they are or where they live.

In this work and in all of the Obama Administration’s efforts in Indian Country, we have been proud to work together with sovereign tribal nations to expand opportunity, to promote equal justice and to replace a shameful historical pattern of mistrust, disregard and termination with a strong commitment to partnership, collaboration and respect.  Under the leadership of my predecessor, Attorney General Eric Holder, the Department of Justice deepened cooperation between tribal justice leaders and U.S. Attorney’s Offices to an extent that had never been done before.  We deployed tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys to prosecute Indian Country cases in federal and tribal courts alike, resulting in stronger working relationships and a sharp increase in federal prosecutions on tribal lands.  We created a Tribal Nations Leadership Council made up of men and women elected by their peers to advise the Attorney General on matters critical to Indian Country.  We succeeded in passing the Tribal Law and Order Act, which has significantly broadened tribal authorities’ capacity to uphold the rule of law.  And we took important steps to institutionalize our approach so that the partnerships we’ve built can be as durable as they are effective.  In one of my own first acts as Attorney General, I called on Congress to help remove barriers to voting in Indian Country so that American Indians and Alaska Natives can enjoy the full participation in our democratic institutions that is their fundamental right.  And I will continue to promote and advance all of these efforts to help bolster the sovereignty of tribal nations, as well as the safety of Indian and Alaska Native communities.

Of course, I have no illusions that the challenges we face will be easily overcome.  These are complex issues with long and difficult histories.  But as I look around the room at this remarkable group of leaders, partners and friends, I’m hopeful about all that we will achieve and I’m eager to continue the work we have begun together.  Thank you once again for being a part of today’s conversation.  Thank you for your trust and your partnership.  And thank you for your steadfast devotion to the cause of justice.