According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), "1 in 4 women have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner while 1 in 7 men experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner." These staggering statistics highlight the overwhelming presence of domestic violence within our communities.
Colorado residents can continue to help combat the problem of domestic violence by donating to the Domestic Abuse Fund ~ Line 29 on their Colorado Individual Income Tax Return form. Contributions to the Domestic Abuse Fund directly serve the needs of victims and their families across the State.
Your donations during tax year 2011 allowed domestic violence crisis centers to respond to 61,335 emergency crisis intervention phone calls and served a total of 34,685 victims of domestic violence. Your donations also provided 107,064 nights of shelter in order to provide safety and support to victims of domestic violence.
These numbers reflect the overwhelming need in Colorado. Domestic violence has many consequences ranging from increased health risks to millions of workdays lost due to victimization. Children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to exhibit behavioral and physical health problems. Although 5,638 individuals were turned away from shelters in 2010, your donations also help decrease this number by providing more intervention and supportive services as well as increasing shelter capacity.
Help is available for individuals experiencing domestic violence. Victims and their friends and family should contact the domestic violence crisis center in their community. To find the crisis center closest to you, please visit http://www.colorado.gov/apps/cdhs/dva/and enter your city, zip code or county.
For more information about Colorado’s domestic violence crisis centers’ funding and services and how your contributions make a difference, please visit www.colorado.gov/cdhs/dvp
For more information about Colorado’s domestic violence crisis centers’ funding and services and how your contributions make a difference, please visit www.domesticabusefund.org or CDHS, Domestic Violence Program at www.colorado.gov/cdhs/dvp.