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A RESOLUTION recognizing October 2024 as Domestic Violence Awareness 1
Month in Kentucky. 2
WHEREAS, Kentuckians deserve to live in a Commonwealth where all individuals, 3
families, and communities have the freedom and resources to live in safety and thrive; 4
and 5
WHEREAS, domestic violence and dating violence not only severely impact the 6
lives of victims, but also result in an economic cost to communities over victims' 7
lifetimes of approximately $3.6 trillion, arising from medical services related to domestic 8
and dating violence, lost productivity and wages, utilization of the criminal justice 9
system, expenses, and other costs; and 10
WHEREAS, approximately one in five homicides occur at the hands of an intimate 11
partner, and over one-half of female homicide victims in the United States are killed by a 12
current or former male intimate partner; and 13
WHEREAS, the Kentucky Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center reported 27 14
Kentuckians lost their lives to domestic violence in 2022, with an additional 27 charges 15
of attempted homicide arising from domestic violence being filed in Kentucky courts; 16
and 17
WHEREAS, over the past five years, Kentucky's 15 state-funded domestic violence 18
shelter programs have housed over 10,000 adults and over 6,000 children and provided 19
nonresidential services to an additional 72,000 Kentuckians; and 20
WHEREAS, domestic and dating violence is motivated by power and control and is 21
perpetuated by a complex range of abuse tactics, including but not limited to physical, 22
verbal, emotional, and financial abuse; stalking and intimidation; and sabotage of career 23
and education; and 24
WHEREAS, these abuse tactics lead to housing and job instability, homelessness, 25
negative impacts on workforce participation, serious health issues, high medical debt, 26
poor credit ratings arising from financial exploitation, and additional challenges that keep 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1856
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survivors of domestic violence and dating violence from being able to meet their basic 1
needs and the needs of their children; and 2
WHEREAS, children exposed to domestic violence can experience long-term 3
consequences, including difficulty at school, substance abuse, behavioral problems in 4
adolescence, and serious adult health problems; and 5
WHEREAS, the mental, emotional, physical, and financial effects of domestic and 6
dating violence impact our state and local systems, communities, families, individuals, 7
and children; and 8
WHEREAS, the root causes and prevalence of domestic and dating violence 9
throughout the Commonwealth must be brought into the public focus; and 10
WHEREAS, domestic and dating violence cannot be prevented until they are 11
openly recognized and addressed; and 12
WHEREAS, the Kentucky Senate recognizes the vital role that all Kentuckians can 13
play in preventing, and one day ending, domestic violence and dating violence; 14
NOW, THEREFORE, 15
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 16
Kentucky: 17
Section 1. The Senate does hereby recognize October 2024 as Domestic 18
Violence Awareness Month in Kentucky. 19
Section 2. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this 20
Resolution to Senator Whitney Westerfield. 21