Prevention, Intervention Key to Halting Domestic Violence

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Byline: Theya McCown

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This costly social epidemic, increasingly referred to as intimate partner violence, or IPV, claims thousands of American lives each year.

Awareness is the key to addressing any detrimental social phenomenon, because awareness lays a foundation for understanding and paving a way for education and prevention efforts.

Professionals and activists in the movement to oppose violence against women have spent more than three decades countering stigmas and misinformation that minimize, excuse and perpetuate IPV. These efforts, over time, have resulted in effective legislation, improved response and an increased collective consciousness, which have saved countless lives and …