JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
The U.S. first declared October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in 1987 and the 2022 campaign is in full swing. The purpose of the Department of Defense campaign is to bring awareness to the military community's responsibility to support victims, respond to abuse, and focus on prevention throughout the year.
According to both the DOD and the National Domestic Violence Awareness website, an average of 20 people are physically abused by partners every minute. One in three women and one in four men have been physically abused by a partner. In addition, every year millions of children are exposed to domestic violence.
“My desire is to bring continued light on the subject and provide hope to those impacted by domestic violence”, said Shirley Bratton, the JBSA and 502nd ABW Community Support Coordinator.
This year, Joint Base San Antonio is supporting several initiatives to include the Purple Color Campaign. This campaign invites residents, community organizations and businesses to light their facilities to raise awareness about domestic violence and support healing for victims. To support the campaign, people are encouraged to post a picture on their social media and use the #PurplePorchSA hash tag.
Purple Thursday is a National Day of Action each October during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is an opportunity to raise awareness about domestic violence and a way for people to show their commitment to promoting healthy relationships. Post your best purple pride wear on social media and #PurpleThursday!
This year, Family Advocacy program staff will present information on the New Parent Support Program, Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate, and Family Advocacy Program's Violence Prevention Classes. Also being discussed is identifying risk factors contributing to relationship violence, ways to increase protective factors in families, and steps to take if individuals or family members feel unsafe. Please see https://www.jbsa.mil/Resources/Resiliency/Family-Advocacy/ for more information on programs and dates.
If you are in an abusive relationship, contact Military OneSource at 1-800-342-9647. You may also contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). Personnel outside the Continental United States can seek assistance from the Americans Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center at 1-866-USWOMEN (879-6636).