[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 195 (Monday, October 7, 1996)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 52677-52678]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25898]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 195 / Monday, October 7, 1996 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 52677]]
Proclamation 6927 of October 3, 1996
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, 1996
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Domestic violence threatens the very core of what we
hold dear. Millions of women and children throughout
our nation are plagued by the terror of family violence
each year, and approximately 20 percent of all hospital
emergency room visits by women result from such
violence. Family violence is a crime that transcends
race, religion, ethnicity, and economic stature, and
one of its greatest tragedies is its effect on our
young people: as many as 3 million children witness
violence in their homes each year.
We must never give up in our efforts to transform
despair into hope for the women and families across
this country who suffer violence at home. We must
encourage all Americans to increase public awareness
and understanding of domestic abuse as well as the
needs of its victims. My Administration is fully
engaged in this struggle, coordinating our efforts
through the Violence Against Women Office at the
Department of Justice and through the Department of
Health and Human Services.
Legislation enacted during the past several years is
also helping to overcome the scourge of domestic
violence. The Violence Against Women Act that I signed
into law has given law enforcement critical new tools
with which to prosecute and punish criminals who
intentionally prey upon women and children. The
Interstate Stalking Punishment and Prevention Act of
1996, enacted just last month, makes it a Federal crime
for any stalker to cross State lines to pursue a
victim, whether or not there is a protection order in
effect, whether or not an actual act of violence has
been committed, and whether or not the stalker is the
victim's spouse. And I am pleased that the Congress has
just taken action to keep guns out of the hands of
people with a history of domestic violence.
My Administration has also worked to increase the
support available for battered women and other victims
of domestic violence, including the elderly. In
February, I announced the creation of a 24-hour, toll-
free National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-
SAFE. The response to this service has been
overwhelming, and the hotline has already received over
50,000 calls--the majority from women and men who have
never before reached out for assistance. This year, we
will also provide increased and unprecedented resources
for battered women's shelters, domestic violence
prevention efforts, and children's counseling services.
There is still much more to do, however. The welfare
reform legislation that I recently signed recognizes
the special needs of domestic violence victims, and I
urge all States to accept the option of implementing
the new law's Family Violence provisions. I have also
directed the Department of Health and Human Services
and the Department of Justice to develop guidance for
States and assist them in implementing the provisions.
As we help families move from welfare to work, we must
ensure that they remain safe from violence in their
homes and are given the support they need to achieve
independence.
As a result of these and other efforts at the national,
State, and local levels, we are one step closer to
eliminating domestic violence and building in its place
a brighter, more secure future for our families and
loved ones.
[[Page 52678]]
I salute all those whose efforts are helping us in
this endeavor and pay special tribute to the survivors
of domestic violence whose courage is an inspiration to
us all. I urge all Americans to join me in working
toward the day when no person raises a hand in violence
against a family member.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim October 1996 as National
Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I call upon all
Americans to observe this month by demonstrating their
respect and gratitude for all those individuals who
unselfishly share their experiences, skills, and
talents with those affected by domestic violence.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
third day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen
hundred and ninety-six, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
first.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 96-25898
Filed 10-4-96; 11:24 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P
