Hotline a New Voice Against Violence
We applaud President Clinton’s unveiling the new National Domestic Violence Hotline--(800) 799-SAFE.
Domestic violence is a growing problem in both California and the United States. Statistics from the California Department of Justice reveal that in almost one-third of all willful homicides, the victim was killed by a spouse, parent or child. More dramatically, more than one-half of all female homicide victims were killed by a spouse, parent or child. Only a small percentage of the victims of domestic violence tell anyone about their plight.
Children who are abused or who live in homes where a parent is abused or battered carry the terrible lessons of violence with them into adulthood. A great proportion of those who assault both strangers and loved ones were raised themselves in violent households. Most authorities agree that violence is learned behavior. Accordingly, to tolerate family violence is to allow the seeds of violence to be sown into the next generation.
ANGELA KAMM
Ventura
Angela Kamm works with the Ventura County Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
