|
2
<br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
<br /> PROCLAMATION
<br /> DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH 2025
<br /> WHEREAS, domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors used by someone to maintain power and
<br /> control in an intimate or family relationship; and
<br /> WHEREAS, domestic violence encompasses not only physical abuse, but also emotional, verbal,
<br /> financial, sexual, or digital abuse, isolation, and/or stalking; and
<br /> WHEREAS, domestic violence disproportionately impacts racial and ethnic minorities, undocumented
<br /> people, women, trans and gender non-conforming people, and disabled people; and
<br /> WHEREAS, racism, sexism, xenophobia, transphobia, ableism, and other forms of oppression and
<br /> discrimination perpetuate domestic violence and make seeking safety and stability more difficult for
<br /> marginalized survivors; and
<br /> WHEREAS, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, on average nearly 20
<br /> people per minute are abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates
<br /> to more than 10 million people; and
<br /> WHEREAS, in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, at
<br /> least 94 individuals were murdered by a current or former intimate partner in 2024 and at least 49 have
<br /> been murdered so far in 2025; and
<br /> WHEREAS, Compass Center, the state-designated domestic violence service provider for Orange
<br /> County, serves more than 1,600 survivors of domestic violence each year through its 24-hour domestic
<br /> violence crisis and lethality assessment program lines, support groups, court and community advocacy,
<br /> Latinx programs, career and financial counseling, and other services and engages thousands more in
<br /> prevention education and outreach; and
<br /> WHEREAS, preventing domestic violence requires the collective awareness, care, and action of
<br /> individuals, institutions, and systems to transform our communities through social norms, policies, and
<br /> laws that reject violence and abuse and promote healthy relationships based on respect, trust, and
<br /> equity;
<br /> NOW, THEREFORE, we, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, do hereby proclaim
<br /> October 2025 to be:
<br /> "Domestic Violence Awareness Month"
<br /> and encourage the residents of Orange County to observe this time in ways appropriate to its
<br /> importance and significance.
<br /> Proclaimed this the 7t" day of October, 2025.
<br /> Jamezetta Bedford, Chair
<br /> Orange County Board of Commissioners
<br />
|