Dove Project reminds everyone October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

In this month we honor the lives lost to domestic violence and raise awareness about the dangers of domestic violence.

In Texas, in 2019, in over 50 counties, 150 women ranging from ages 15 to 87 were killed by their male intimate partners, 32 men ranging from ages 17 to 93 were killed by their female intimate partners, and one woman and three men ranging from ages 24 to 62 were killed by a same-sex intimate partner. Twenty related victims meaning members of the family were killed, and six related victims were injured in the commission of these intimate partner homicides. They were shot, stabbed physically assaulted, strangled, or killed by automobile.

35% of the women and two of the men were planning to leave the relationship which has been proven to be the most dangerous time for a victim. 27% and three of the perpetrators had a prior history of violence, and 23% of the women and three of the men had other known lethality risks identified. A lethality risk is described as the capacity to cause death, and a Lethality Assessment is done to predict the likelihood of the abuser to murder the victim. The relationships to their abusers were husband/wife, boyfriend/ girlfriend, ex-boyfriend/exgirlfriend, and some of them were just casually dating.

The list of counties with the highest number of fatalities is Harris with 29, Dallas with 21, Bexar with 11, and Tarrant with 10. The number of victims is down this year by 26.

We are fighting this battle every day and greatly appreciate this community and all of the support shown for our cause, and we ask for continued prayers for the shelter, staff and the victims we serve.