On September 30, 2010, the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Journal Sentinel published an article on the rate of domestic violence killings in the state of Wisconsin. According to reports from the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV), who began tracking this data in 2000, in the year 2009, domestic violence deaths in Wisconsin reached a 10-year high. In 2009, fifty-two (52) people were killed in forty-seven (47) domestic violence incidents and fifteen (15) domestic violence perpetrators committed suicide. Just as startling, if not more so, “[a]t least 52 children were left orphaned or without one parent. Of the 32 children who lost a parent, 24 lost their mothers.” National data indicate that as many as 60% of households where domestic violence has occurred have children living in the home (National Crime Victimization Survey) and an estimated 9 million children have witnessed a serious violent act (Yale Child Student Center, 2001). As summarized in a report by The National Council on Crime and Delinquency, we know that children who are exposed to violence are more likely engage in aggressive and violent behaviors, such as fighting, carrying weapons, and damaging property, and consequently have an increased risk of being involved in the juvenile justice system. In an effort to address this issue, on September 23, 2010, Attorney General Eric Holder, announced the new Department of Justice initiative, Defending Childhood. The dual phase initiative is focused on the prevention of children’s exposure to violence by supporting comprehensive, community-based programs that increase access to and utilization of quality services, improve screening tools and referral services for children and families, and develop new partnerships to minimize gaps and maximize effectiveness.

To support local efforts to address the impact of domestic violence on Wisconsin’s children and youth, please visit the WCADV site.