News  October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Forty percent of individuals serviced by Probation's Victim Service Unit have experienced domestic violence

This observance evolved from the “Day of Unity” held in October 1981 and was conceived by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The Day of Unity expanded to a week-long event and in October 1987, the first National Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed. In 1989, Congress officially designated October National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The Massachusetts Probation Service's (MPS) Victim Services Unit--which includes eight Victim Service Coordinators across the state--works with those impacted by intimate partner violence, according to Corinn Nelson, Statewide Manager of the VSU. Forty percent of the victims the VSU serves have experienced domestic violence, Ms. Nelson said. In Fiscal Year 2021, the VSU served 3,500 victims. Of that number, 40 percent have experienced domestic violence, she said.

"We work with victims who have been impacted by a wide range of crimes. However, roughly 40 percent of the victims VSU serves have experienced domestic violence. Domestic violence comes in many forms – emotional, physical, psychological, financial and sexual abuse. We help them in all those realms through safety planning, referrals, court accompaniment, explaining victim rights and more," said Ms. Nelson.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) estimates that 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are victims of physical violence by a partner every year.

Every nine seconds, a woman in the US is beaten or assaulted by a current or previous significant other, according to DOJ.

One in four women, and one in nine men have experienced intimate partner violence, according to DOJ.