MERIDIAN, Idaho — October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
On Friday, the Women’s and Children’s Alliance in Boise (WCA) presented the 2024 Proclamation of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Domestic Violence resource organizations, local officials, law enforcement, and advocates rallied together to sign the proclamation and stress the severity of domestic violence in our community.
At Friday’s proclamation, organizations like Faces of Hope, Ada County Victim Services Center, Advocates Against Family Violence, and the Nampa Family Justice Center participated in the conference by giving out resource information.
Together, all the establishments shared how they’re working to raise awareness about the far too many Idahoans who are suffering in silence.
WCA said an estimated one in four women and one in seven men will be a victim of domestic violence in their lives.
October will serve as a time to shine a light on domestic violence, an issue affecting individuals and families across the country and here in Idaho.
According to WCA of Boise, hundreds of people in Idaho seek out safety and services relating to domestic violence in a single day.
WCA said in 2023, Idaho law enforcement received 5,767 reports of domestic violence within intimate relationships such as spouses, ex-spouses, and other intimate couples.
“We fielded over 4,500 calls last year, and we're on track to probably field between 4,700 and 4,800 calls, so that's just our hotline. And that speaks to the number of individuals in our community who are in need of either resources or someone to talk to because they're in a abusive or a dangerous situation,” Bea Black, CEO of WCA, told KTVB Friday.
For the month of October, wearing purple ribbons or just the color purple, symbolizes support for victims and survivors.
Advocates said being a supporter is about letting survivors know they’re not alone.
Mayor Jarom Wagoner of Caldwell also spoke at the proclamation conference about the importance of being a good fellow community member and reaching out to give help as well.
Mayor Wagoner stated, "learn about the signs, so that you can reach out and help those that are in a domestic violence situation. You know, stand up and speak up."
The WCA and other resource groups said there’s an imaginably large number of domestic violence that goes unreported every day.
Domestic Violence hotlines are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Help is available at the National Hotline (800)799-7233 or the Women’s and Children Alliance in Boise Hotline (208)343-7025. Calls can remain anonymous and are open to anyone, even for questions about a situation that could possibly be domestic violence.