Advocates and leaders bring awareness to Domestic Violence Awareness Month

CHICAGO (CBS) — Advocates are standing up to domestic violence.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and on Thursday morning, activists and other support groups held a leadership breakfast.

Organizers said that domestic violence shootings and homicides are up 21%, even as other shootings and homicides are down.

CBS 2 spoke to one of those organizers about how to reverse this trend.

“We’ve got to limit access to guns for those committing domestic violence. We’ve got to strengthen our safety planning and support for survivors so when they are trying to leave and at their most dangerous time, that we have resources that can support them,” said Amanda Pyron, Executive Director at The Network. “And we need to raise awareness. If there’s a firearm involved in a domestic violence situation, survivors are 500 times more likely to be the victim of a homicide.”

If you or someone you know needs help, call the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at 877-863-6338.

THREAD: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This year, we uplift the experiences of incarcerated survivors of abuse and gender-based violence who, for far too long, have been ignored and overlooked. #DVAM2022 pic.twitter.com/DLHXIm4L8Z

— Illinois Prison Project (@ILPrisonProject) October 4, 2022

Source: ChicagoCBS