U.S. Attorney's Office Observes National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina joins the Justice Department and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), as well as law enforcement agencies, community organizations, victim service providers, advocates, victims, and survivors in observing October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM).

According to OVW, domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship, used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, or technological actions or threats of actions or other patterns of coercive behavior that influence another person within an intimate partner relationship. Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, sex, or gender identity. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and educational levels and occurs in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships. It can also happen to intimate partners who are married, living together, dating, or share a child.

"We have a shared responsibility to fight against domestic violence in all its forms," said Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. "My Office is dedicated to using every tool available to ensure victims and survivors can find safety and justice, and we remain committed to working with the community year-round to address and prevent domestic violence, hold offenders accountable, and ensure that support and resources are accessible by individuals and families impacted by domestic abuse."

In September 2024, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced that the City of Asheville and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) were among 78 communities designated by the Department of Justice under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), to strengthen efforts to reduce intimate partner violence through training, increased prosecutions of domestic violence offenders that illegally possess firearms, and federal resources to support local efforts.

Today, U.S. Attorney King announced the allocation of more than $1.8 million in grants administered by OVW, to combat intimate partner violence and assist victims of violence, survivors, and their families in Western North Carolina. The federal grants will be used to fund existing projects and new initiatives developed to prevent domestic violence and to support victims and survivors who have experienced domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault.

Specific to Asheville and EBCI, OVW will administer $500,000 toward funding Buncombe County's Improve the Criminal Justice Response (ICJR) project, which aims to enhance the criminal justice response to incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; foster victim safety; and enhance offender accountability. OVW will also administer $400,000 to the University of North Carolina at Asheville, to support its work to prevent, investigate, and reduce incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campus. In addition, OVW will administer more than $414,000 to Reflection of Inspiration, Inc. (ROI), a nonprofit organization that serves the EBCI, in support of its efforts to increase awareness about domestic violence and sexual assault against Indian women and to enhance the response, services, and assistance to victims and survivors.

This week, U.S. Attorney King and office staff also attended the annual "Breakfast of Hope" hosted by Safe Alliance, an organization that offers resources to domestic violence and sexual assault victims in the greater Charlotte area. The organization provides housing assistance, court advocacy, trauma services, counseling, and support groups for both adult and teen survivors.

DVAM serves as an important reminder to raise awareness and engage the community in efforts to end intimate partner violence. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes. These rates are higher among American Indian and Alaska Native populations, women of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities.

For more information on domestic violence, visit: https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence#dv.

If you need help, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or the Strong Hearts Native Helpline at 1-844-762-8483.