They say home is where the heart is, but for many home is a place of heartbreak. The month of October was Domestic Violence Month in New York, so it is worth taking stock of where we are in protecting our families from domestic abuse and how we can think differently about helping its victims.
Soon after his inauguration, Governor Eliot Spitzer asked me to lead a statewide effort to fight against domestic violence. I have been honored to do it. Domestic violence is a problem that we are too often unwilling to discuss or to recognize, erroneously thinking of it as a family matter rather than a societal one.
Over 350,000 domestic violence incidents were reported to police in New York in 2005 - an average of 620 per day in New York City alone. It is important to raise awareness of the frequency of this problem because much can be done to help its victims protect themselves.
Three changes in our thinking are critical: First, domestic violence does not just affect its victims at home. Second, domestic violence is not limited to married couples and their children. Third, money matters.
Well worth a read.
