Mayor Scott Conger reads and presents to Wo/Men's Resource and Rape Assistance Program (WRAP) representatives a joint proclamation recognizing October 2020 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Jackson, TN, Tuesday, October 6, 2020.

The Proclamation reads as follows:

WHEREAS, Tennessee has remained in the top ten for domestic homicide since 2001.

WHEREAS, 70,349 incidents of domestic violence were reported in 2019, and, on average, 50,183 Tennessee women experienced domestic violence in Tennessee in 2019;

WHEREAS, Tennessee reported 85 victims killed by an intimate partner; 44,382 domestic violence cases were cleared by arrest or by exceptional means in 2019;

WHEREAS, Children accounted for 7,187 or 9.8% of domestic violence victims in Tennessee in 2019 and the Sycamore Institute indicated that domestic violence was among the top five adverse childhood experiences for Tennessee’s children;

WHEREAS, Abuse of a family member can have a long-term damaging impact on survivors and their children that impacts family, friends, and the community-at-large;

WHEREAS, Families are indispensable to a stable society and should be a place of support to instill responsibility and values in the next generation;

WHEREAS, Domestic violence is widespread and is devastating to society as a whole, but particularly to women and children;

WHEREAS, Violence against women and children is a prevalent social ill due to the historical imbalance of power in gender and age;

WHEREAS, The problem of domestic violence is not confined to any group or groups of people but crosses all economic, racial, gender, educational, religious, and societal barriers and is sustained by societal indifference;

WHEREAS, The survivors of domestic violence should have help to find the compassion, comfort, and healing they need, and domestic abusers should be held fully accountable for their crimes against persons and the community; and

WHEREAS, Our community has a civic and moral obligation to work to prevent domestic violence, to address its brutal and destructive effects, and to make ending domestic violence a community priority.

NOW, THEREFORE, in recognition of the important work being done by our community to prevent domestic violence, support survivors of domestic violence, and hold perpetrators of such violence accountable for their crimes against the community,

WE SCOTT CONGER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF JACKSON, TENNESSEE, AND JIMMY HARRIS, MAYOR OF MADISON COUNTY, TENNESSEE, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 2020 AS

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

and urge all citizens to become aware of this destructive force in our society and to become part of the efforts to build safe, stable, nurturing relationships and families.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, WE HEREUNTO SET OUR HANDS AND CAUSE THE SEALS OF THE CITY OF JACKSON, TENNESSEE, AND MADISON COUNTY, TENNESSEE, TO BE AFFIXED THIS THE 1st DAY OF OCTOBER 2020.

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Visit the WRAP page for more information about Wo/Men's Resource and Rape Assistance Program.