The First Annual Domestic Violence Awareness event was held on October 20.
Winston Choctaw Regional Correctional Facility Deputy Warden Patricia Whitcomb organized the event with the Sheriff's Office help sponsoring.
"On behalf of Hold My Hand End Domestic Violence, I would sincerely like to thank you for the sponsorship you provided for our 1st Annual Domestic Violence held on October 20, 2018. Thanks to your generous sponsorship, we were able to raise awareness among our community and hopefully impact the lives of those who are victims of Domestic Violence Abuse. Sponsoring the End Domestic Violence Event was one of the many ways in which we could help try to comfort the silent victims in their discomforting situation." state Whitcomb.
The event was held in the courtyard of the courthouse. With over 50 attendees, the first annual event was a success.
She went on to say that, "Thanks to our 1st Annual Domestic Violence Awareness Event, some of the silent victims felt strong enough to come out and give their testimony. We wanted the victims to know that we are here to hold their hands and offer help in whatever situation a person may be in. This event would not have been a success without the generous support you have provided for us on End Domestic Violence Event. We deeply appreciate the willingness with which you have and hope that you will continue to support us in our future. We sincerely hope that End Domestic Violence will be maintained and the community will continue to support us in future."
Whitcomb noted that she wanted to hold the event to spotlight domestic violence since she was a victim of domestic violence over 32 years ago.
Whitcomb credits God for giving her the strength to leave the situation.
"Every one's situation is different but the key is to seek help and to talk to someone," said Whitcomb.
Domestic violence effects people each year and has far-reaching consequences for victims, their families, and even the economy. In fact, intimate partner violence costs the US economy anywhere from approximately $5 to $12 billion per year.
While it's completely possible to have never been exposed to domestic violence yourself, NISVS data shows that on average, "20 people per minute are victims of physical violence by an intimate partner in the US." Estimates suggest that domestic violence from an intimate partner affects both genders, specifically about 1 in 3 women, and 1 in 4 men.
In many domestic violence cases, children have impacted as well as adults. Some estimates show that as many as 1 in 15 children are affected by domestic violence in the United States per year and that 90% of those children see the violence going on with their own eyes.
