Q: What is the Violence Against Women Act and what was it designed to do?
A: Unfortunately, stories of domestic abuse, assault and rape are all to common. There seem to be regular reports of women beaten in their own home, raped by a boyfriend or acquaintance, or stalked by an ex. To help prevent abuse and provide better care for victimized women, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act in 1994. This legislation was designed to help change the landscape for women who have suffered violence by creating programs within the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to make sure offenders are punished and victims receive quality care. The programs administered by the Department of Justice provide grants to law enforcement officers and prosecutors to help make sure they are able to arrest and prosecute offenders, support programs for victim advocates and counselors, and encourage the training of probation and parole officers who work with released sex offenders. To make sure women who are the victims of violence have a support system in place, the Department of Health and Human Services provided grants to battered women’s shelters, supported rape prevention and education, and encouraged community programs on domestic violence. Together, these programs have helped make significant gains in the fight against crimes against women.
Q: Now that the Violence Against Women Act is more than 10 years old, is anything being done to make sure it is up-to-date?
A: The Violence Against Women Act is working and we are beginning to see a decline in domestic and sexual violence. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of work to be done. On average, three women each day are murdered by their husband or boyfriend, and more than 700 are raped or sexually assaulted. The Violence Against Women Act is due for reauthorization this year and I have signed on as a cosponsor of a bill that will make sure the tough penalties and support programs included in the Violence Against Women Act stay on the books. The new bill will also create new programs designed to support women, men and children in living healthy, safe lives. It will help women become more self sufficient by providing housing support and employment protection so they aren’t forced to return to an abusive relationships, provide services for the children touched by the effects of domestic violence and sexual assault, and focus on prevention and educating the next generation so that they will avoid these crimes of violence. I’m working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this legislation this year so we can take the next step towards stemming domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.