October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), a time to bring advocates, survivors, elected officials, and everyone together to end domestic violence across the country and support the staggering number of survivors, many of whom are not receiving the services and security they need.
The raw numbers are shocking: Domestic violence (DV) affects more than 12 million people a year, and I believe this is a low estimate because this is just the number of those who report. Almost 1 in 2 women and more than 2 in 5 men report having experienced domestic violence. Domestic violence is a cross-sectoral issue that includes homelessness, public safety, the criminal justice system, and women’s rights.
According to the 2025 Los Angeles Continuum of Care Point-in-Time Count, 42% of people experiencing homelessness reported a history of DV or Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), and 10% became unhoused as a direct result of fleeing violence. For women, the impact is even more severe: one in five identified violence as the immediate cause of their homelessness. The 2025 Count also reported 4,420 unsheltered adults in need of DV-specific beds. And in LA, there are fewer than 1,000 available.
A year ago, the Survivor Justice Center, where I am an attorney and executive director, changed our name from the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice, after 50 years of service to LA, to have our name say what we do, and so that people could find us. It is working, but the reality is we have to turn people away every day. And that keeps us up at night. Our office receives over 40 calls on average for help each week (in the last year on record, 19,058 restraining orders were filed in LA County, and 80-90% of survivors are unrepresented in their restraining order hearing).
We help any low-income survivor in LA County, with 83% of our clients women, 63% are parents. Imagine how many people are affected when you consider the children. When a person leaves their abuser, they are at 75% greater risk of being killed, with 75% of emergency room visits occurring after separation.
All of this data is overwhelming, and it's shocking that it takes DVAM to have attention paid to the issue, instead of it being a state of emergency every single day. We can’t accept this level of harm in our society, in our homes, and in our communities.
Reese Whitherspoon said she had to rewire her brain after leaving an abusive relationship. Our entire society needs to do this around domestic violence, and DV awareness month is a start.
The LA Domestic Violence Homeless Services Coalition (DVHSC), which includes 244 organizations working to ensure safe housing and support for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault, asked our LA County board of supervisors to proclaim October 2025 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Strengthening Countywide Strategies to Support Survivors. The motion was passed unanomously.
Ask your elected officials to recognize DVAM. Support your local organizations doing this important work. Speak up, and let’s do better and support and prevent domestic violence. You can learn how to spot signs of abuse and also learn how to help someone in the situation. And remember, never blame or judge a person when you cannot know their circumstances.
Carmen McDonald is an attorney who serves as executive director of the Survivor Justice Center; she is a Public Voices Fellow of the OpEd Project and Blue Shield California.
