Domestic Violence Counts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

East Hartford, CT - A new survey conducted by the National Network to
End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) reveals telling information about domestic violence services in the United States.

In one 24-hour period, 1,125 victims of domestic violence and their children across Connecticut received vital services from local domestic violence organizations. 294 domestic violence victims found safe refuge
in emergency shelters or transitional housing provided by their local
domestic violence program. An additional 831 adults and children
received services, including counseling, legal advocacy and children's
support groups. At the same time, 47 requests for needs were unmet. A
full copy of the Connecticut summary is available online at
www.ctcadv.org.

"CCADV member programs continue to provide services to families
affected by intimate partner violence on limited funds and meet the
immediate needs of victims who come to them for assistance. But let's
be clear: not all who seek services will receive the help they need. Given
that domestic violence continues to pervade our society; it is time for
a new orientation toward prevention. Earlier and effective intervention
with a focus on a continuum of comprehensive services offers more
promise for putting an end to the problem," said Erika Tindill, Esq.
Executive Director of CCADV.

Though an economic downturn does not cause domestic violence, factors associated with economic uncertainties can increase the severity an
frequency of abuse. At the same time, options for survivors to escape
can be more limited. More than 80 percent of local domestic violence
programs reported and increased demand for their services while nearly
the same number reported decreases in funding.

"The economy is exacerbating domestic violence, and victim advocates across the country are struggling to do more with less," said Sue Else, president of NNEDV. "Despite the immense challenges, local programs are providing life-saving services to so many survivors of domestic and sexual violence."

Each year, NNEDV conducts a 24-hour survey of local domestic violence programs. On September 15, 2010, despite the difficulty to raise funds, domestic violence programs nationwide provided services to more than
70,000 adults and children in one day alone. Other national data
include:

* More than 929 crisis hotline calls were answered every hour.
* More than 9,500 requests for services went unmet, mostly due to funding shortfalls.
* More than 30,000 individuals attended 1,240 training sessions
provided by local domestic violence programs to help prevent violence
and intervene early in cases of abuse.

Across the nation on September 15, 2010, three women were murdered by their intimate partners. Thirty-six babies were born to mothers living in domestic violence shelters. Three-hundred-ninety-one survivors
started new jobs. Three men committed suicide - one after murdering his
wife, another after a failed attempt to kill his girlfriend, and the
third after holding his partner hostage and a standoff with the police.

In 2010, 1,746 local domestic violence programs, or 91 percent,
submitted their 24-hour counts for September 15. 15 out of 16, or 94%
of programs in Connecticut participated in the survey. The full National
Domestic Violence Counts 2010 are available online at .

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Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Inc. (CCADV), is a
statewide 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that works to change social
conditions through policy advocacy, public awareness, technical
assistance and education. The current membership of the CCADV includes
private, non-profit agencies providing services to victims of domestic
violence which include but are not limited to safety planning,
short-term counseling and support groups, information and referrals,
advocacy, emergency shelter, children's programs and community
education and training. To learn more about CCADV, please visit . _

_ _

NNEDV, a 501(c)(3) organization, is a leading voice for domestic
violence victims and their allies. Its members include the 56 state
and territorial coalitions against domestic violence. It works
closely with them to understand the needs of domestic violence victims and
advocacy programs. NNEDV has been a premiere national organization
advancing the movement against domestic violence for the past 15 years,
after leading efforts among domestic violence advocates and survivors
in urging Congress to pass the landmark Violence Against Women Act of
1994.

NNEDV
East Hartford, CT 06108
(860) 282-7899