Public Action Campaigns

October 2004 - Domestic Violence Awareness Month

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Every morning, someone in the America opens up his or her newspaper and reads an article reporting a recent domestic violence incident: “Double Homicide and Suicide” or “Girlfriend Charged ” or "Victim Had Gotten Protective Order." A handful of readers are stirred to action and contact their local domestic violence shelters, offering time or donations. Most readers, however, feeling unsettled and hopeless, quickly turn the page, looking for safer, more pleasant news stories.

Despite the fact that these stories punctuate headlines and appear in plotlines for countless movies, television shows, and novels, openly addressing these issues of violence remains difficult for most of us and is still considered taboo by many. This silence isolates and blames survivors, while protecting offenders and permitting abuse and violence to continue undetected.

Jane Doe Inc. believes that breaking this silence and raising awareness are absolutely vital to protecting victims and preventing domestic violence from continuing. Acknowledgement of abuse gives survivors confidence and reassurance, and elevated public awareness and improving understanding encourages safety and responsibility.

Please join us in commemorating October 2004 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Calendar of Events
Please click here for a Calendar of Events, which highlights the activities of Jane Doe's membership organizations.

Public Service Campaign
Given the extraordinary success of the 2003 New England Regional DVAM Campaign, created in corroboration with the Link Agency of Rhode Island, the New England states have chosen to repeat this coordinated effort for 2004. Augmented with feedback from Massachusetts focus groups, the 2004 campaign will build on last year's messaging - once again targeting bystanders - and expand to include materials in several languages. Radio spots will also be featured on Kiss 108 FM and WHYN 93.1 FM.

2004 Massachusetts Intimate Partner Homicide List
This list describes publicly reported intimate partner homicides in which criminal charges have been filed (except in the case of murder-suicides).The definition of intimate partner violence that is used for this list are relationships that include spouse, ex-spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, ex-girlfriend/boyfriend, partner, ex-partner, and a dating relationship. This year, for the first time, this list includes those who are bystanders or intervened in attempted homicide in the context of intimate partner violence and were themselves killed. Please click here for the list.

Please click here for the History of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.