Even though October is recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System (EOVAHCS) supports prevention, intervention, and recovery year-round.
This is important as numbers recently released from the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation indicate that domestic abuse is increasing in Oklahoma. The report shows a 3% increase in the number of domestic abuse cases reported statewide in 2020. When looking at the 25 counties served by EOVAHCS, there was an 8% increase. In the 9,788 reports of domestic abuse from those counties in 2020, there were 27 murders, which is a 35% increase over 2019.
Nationally, about one in three women and one in four men report experiencing intimate partner violence. The veteran population is twice as likely as civilians to experience intimate partner violence.