Senator Coons Touts Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization At THRIVE Delaware Conference

Senator Coons urges holistic approach to addressing domestic violence

Speaking at Delaware conference, Senator Coons highlights Violence Against Women Act, violence as a public health issue

DOVER, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, spoke Tuesday at the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s THRIVE Delaware Conference about recent progress to expand support for victims of domestic violence and the challenges that remain to prevent abuse and eliminate associated health disparities.

“Intimate partner violence is more than just a criminal justice or moral issue, it’s a health issue,” Senator Coons said. “Women are five times more likely to be abused by a partner and experience higher levels of disease and disability throughout their lifetimes as a result. We’ve made great inroads against abuse in large part because of the Violence Against Women Act, and this year’s reauthorization will ensure local agencies have the resources they need to support victims, prosecute abusers, and prevent violence. We must continue working together to educate the public, empower victims, punish offenders, and break the cycle of abuse in our communities.”

THRIVE Delaware is a multi-sector collaborative partnership that promotes healthy relationships, individuals, and violence-free environments. The initiative brings together health care providers, policymakers, survivors, advocates, and prevention practitionersacross an array of disciplines to address domestic violence as a public health issue.

The Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence (DCADV) launched the THRIVE initiative with the support of two federal grants: a $375,000 Project Connect grant from the U.S. Office of Women’s Health and Futures Without Violence and a $1.7 million Delta Focus grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Violence Prevention. Funding from the grants, awarded in January and March 2013, helped the DCADV organize its first THRIVE Delaware conference to explore the health care response to domestic violence, as well as prevention strategies to narrow gender health disparities. Senator Coons wrote a letter to the CDC in October expressing his strong support for the THRIVE initiative and urging approval of the DCADV’s grant application.

The DCADV, founded in 1994, is a statewide, nonprofit organization of domestic violence agencies, allied organizations, and supportive individuals. Over the past 18 years, the DCADV has led efforts to increase public awareness and enhance the services, legal remedies, and resources available to assist victims of domestic violence in Delaware.

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