More than one in three women and more than one in four men in the U.S. will experience rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime, The Cocoon Executive Director Kathy Mull told Bowling Green City Council Monday evening.
One in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence, she said.
One in five female high school students reports being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner, Mull added.
Last year, more than 300 requests for Civil Protection Orders were filed in Wood County’s domestic relations court.
In 2022, The Cocoon supported more than 600 survivors of domestic violence with approximately a third residing in Bowling Green.
“October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I want to thank the City of Bowling Green for allowing The Cocoon to place purple ribbons downtown to bring awareness to the suffering of so many in our community,” Mull told City Council.
The numbers shared earlier do not account for the many survivors suffering in silence, unaware of where to turn for help or afraid to speak up, she added.
“These purple ribbons provide us with an opportunity to show support to survivors of domestic violence in our community and to remind us all we can be part of the solution to ending violence in our community. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to continuing to work together to create a safe community for us all.”
