Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Domestic Violence Awareness Month has been awesome so far here at CAEPV! I've been privileged to talk with managers, lawyers, healthcare workers, business owners, and members of the media across the country about domestic violence and how the business community can - and does - respond to this issue. To see what some of our members are doing across the US to recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month, visit http://www.caepv.org/about/program_g.asp.

I am also very excited about October 14 -- the first ever national "It's Time to Talk Day." It's not too late for you to commit to simply "take a moment to talk" this Thursday! For ideas, visit the official "It's Time to Talk" web site at http://www.loveisnotabuse.com/itstimetotalk/. You can also check out ideas and resources on the CAEPV website at http://www.caepv.org/about/program_h.asp.

IN THE NEWS

BANGOR, MAINE -- With the incidence of domestic violence rising steadily in Maine, the state is looking to Maine businesses to step up to the plate to help "stop one of the most serious public health threats of all time." Gov. John Baldacci signed an executive order on October 7 charging all state agencies to craft and implement domestic violence policies. Recalling the 1989 murder-suicide of Patricia Crowley, who was shot to death by her husband while she worked at a Bangor travel agency in downtown Bangor, Baldacci pointed out that "domestic abuse does not end when the victim goes to work." "I was a legislator representing Bangor at that time, and that case had a profound impact on me," he told a crowd of about 90 business owners and representatives during a one-day seminar at a Bangor hotel.

In 2001, Maine became the first state in the nation to adopt a law mandating employers to provide employment leaves for domestic violence victims or to the immediate families of those victims who need time to either attend court hearings or seek medical or mental health services. During a recent survey in Maine, 53 percent of the domestic violence victims interviewed said they lost their job at least in part because of the violence.

Policies would encourage company employees to approach potential victims and make referrals to domestic violence programs. They would encourage training and put into place confidentiality allowances that would let employees come forward to ask for help without fear of retribution. (Source: Bangor Daily News)

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Violence Policy Center (VPC) recently released When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2002 Homicide Data. This annual report, which details national and state-by-state information on female homicides involving one female murder victim and one male offender, illustrates the unique role firearms play in female homicide. The study is being released to coincide with Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.

In 2002, the most recent data available from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's unpublished Supplementary Homicide Report, firearms were the most common weapon used by males to murder females (928 of 1,733 or 54 percent). Of these, 73 percent (679 of 928) were committed with handguns. Alaska ranks first in the nation in the rate of women killed by men. Ranked behind Alaska are: Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, Wyoming, South Carolina, Tennessee, Delaware, North Carolina, and Alabama. Nationally the rate was 1.37 per 100,000.

Study author Marty Langley states, "These numbers should serve as a wake-up call to the states with the highest rates of female homicide. In identifying solutions to domestic violence, the role firearms play must be addressed." (Source: The Violence Policy Center with thanks to Barry Nixon for forwarding this information.)

LIMITED EDITION "LOVE IS NOT ABUSE" ITEMS FOR SALE

Want a great way to show everyone that "Love Is Not Abuse"? Visit http://www.loveisnotabuse.com/relationship/fundraising.asp and check out the t-shirts, gloves, and scarves available for purchase from Liz Claiborne. Proceeds benefit the National Domestic Violence Hotline and the Family Violence Prevention Fund.

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

Please join the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Liz Claiborne, State Farm Insurance Companies, Verizon Wireless, ASIS, AAOHN, IPRC, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence as we present Partnering in Workplace Violence Prevention: Translating Research to Practice November 15 - 17, 2004 in Baltimore, Maryland. This is the first time that NIOSH has convened a conference on the topic of workplace violence prevention and we are excited to partner with them in this initial effort.

Conference registration is FREE, and the conference will cover all four types of workplace violence. For more information (including the agenda, on-line registration, hotel information, and more) visit http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/conferences/work-violence/.

Conference registration is only open until the end of October so make sure you don't miss out -- we hope to see you there for this first of its kind conference!

(If you are interested in being a financial sponsor of the conference along with those named above, it is not too late! Contact us here at the Corporate Alliance for details or contact Matt Bowyer at NIOSH at mbowyer@cdc.gov.)

BOOKMARK THIS!

http://www.vpc.org/studies/wmmw2004.pdf -- This link leads to When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2002 Homicide Data. This study was released by the Violence Policy Center and is mentioned in the "IN THE NEWS" item earlier.