Standing against domestic violence

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Monroe County reports of domestic violence are above state rates, with rates in the city of Rochester nearly 2.5 times the statewide rate, according to a report issued Wednesday by Alternatives for Battered Women and Rochester/Monroe County Domestic Violence Consortium.

The two agencies hosted a press conference to kick off Domestic Violence Awareness month and draw attention to the abuse that impacts one in four women and one in seven men nationally, according to statistics by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On average, according to the report, 5,900 incidents of domestic violence are reported each year in Monroe County. Research indicates that more than 70 percent of domestic violence incidents are never reported, indicating figures are only a fraction of the real problem.

The full report may be accessed at www.abwrochester.org, with the following highlights:

• 5,091 reports of domestic violence were made in 2013 in Monroe County.
• Domestic violence impacts all zip codes with 52 percent of reports in the city and 48 percent from suburban communities.
• In 2013, more than 53,000 calls to the County 911 dispatch service were classified as domestic incidents.
• ABW’s 24/7 Hotline receives more than 4,600 calls a year — an average of 12 a day.
• ABW’s emergency shelter provided housing for more than 600 survivors in 2013.

Events are planned throughout the month. A full schedule is available at www.abwrochester.org and www.rmcdvc.org.

In conjunction with the report, Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks and Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren issued a joint proclamation marking October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.