88S30500 AMB-D
 
  By: Hull H.R. No. 11
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Every October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month
  mobilizes people around the country to join in efforts to end
  domestic violence in their communities; and
         WHEREAS, More than 10 million women and men are physically
  abused by an intimate partner in the United States each year;
  domestic violence encompasses a pattern of behaviors used to gain
  or maintain power and control over a victim, and in many cases,
  physical violence reinforces other forms of psychological and
  emotional abuse such as threats, intimidation, and isolation;
  severe intimate partner violence can include instances of physical
  assault, rape, and stalking that leave victims with injuries,
  post-traumatic stress disorder, and other lasting impacts; and
         WHEREAS, While young women are most frequently the victims of
  intimate partner violence, women, men, and children of every age,
  race, background, and circumstance can fall victim to abuse at the
  hands of a family member; the damage caused by domestic violence
  extends beyond direct victims to include children who are witnesses
  to violence in their own homes, and studies have shown that children
  exposed to family violence are at higher risk for mental health
  conditions like anxiety and depression, for developing substance
  abuse disorders and certain diseases in adulthood, and for becoming
  either a victim or a perpetrator of abuse themselves; and
         WHEREAS, Domestic Violence Awareness Month evolved from the
  "Day of Unity" first observed by the National Coalition Against
  Domestic Violence in October 1981; the goal of the observance was to
  connect advocates across the nation who were working to break the
  cycle of domestic violence and abuse, and it soon expanded into an
  entire week of activities at the local, state, and national levels;
  the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month took place in October
  1987, the same year that the first national toll-free hotline for
  victims of domestic violence was established; and
         WHEREAS, During Domestic Violence Awareness Month,
  advocates, supporters, and survivors gather together to raise
  public awareness of domestic violence, to celebrate the progress
  that has been made, and to call attention to the work that must be
  done to protect future victims of this devastating crime; now,
  therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
  Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby recognize October 2023 as
  Domestic Violence Awareness Month and encourage Texans to learn
  more about how they can stand up against domestic violence in their
  communities.