Daviess County Fiscal Court made two proclamations Thursday related to abuse faced by children and families, announcing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Oct. 4 as TEN-4 Awareness Day.
As read by Commissioner George Wathen, “Domestic violence is a behavior pattern used to establish power and control over another through fear, intimidation and abuse.”
One in three women and one in four men experience domestic violence during their lifetime, and it does not discriminate against races, genders or income levels, Wathen said.
“According to HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development), domestic violence is the third-leading cause of homelessness among U.S. families,” Wathen read. “Whereas, two in three female murder victims are killed by a family member or intimate partner, and children living in violent, abusive homes are likely to suffer from physical and emotional health issues and difficulties in school.”
He added that America spends $37 billion on domestic violence annually, including medical expenses, sheltering and foster care, law enforcement, legal costs, sick leave, absenteeism and low employee productivity.
Annually, one in 15 children witness domestic violence in the U.S.
“Without a coordinated effort to end this heinous crime, girls who witnessed domestic violence are more vulnerable to abuse, and witnessing boys are likely to become perpetrators, thus continuing the cycle of violence,” Wathen said.
TEN-4 was declared as a “new bruising rule” based on research from pediatricians across the U.S.
According to the rule, “any bruising before a child is cruising at approximately four months of age, and any bruising on the torso, ears and neck (TEN) are significant red flags for child abuse.”
As read by Judge-Executive Al Mattingly, children under the age of four face a higher risk of physical injury or death as a result of child abuse.
Nationally, Kentucky currently has the highest rate of child victims of substantiated abuse — doubling the national rate for child victims under the age of one.
The Department of Community Based Services recently reported that children age four and under make up 85% of child abuse fatalities and near-fatality victims in Kentucky. While Kentucky requires the training of certain professionals such as nurses, doctors, social workers or first responders on this rule within the pediatric abusive head trauma training, it is imperative to have as many adults as possible ready to identify these “concerning bruises,” Mattingly said.
Kosair charity-sponsored “Face It” movement to end child abuse is aiming to bring more awareness to the TEN-4 rule through a social media campaign and educational event, set to take place on Oct. 4.
