October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It's an opportunity to shine a light on a problem that continues to grow nationally and statewide.

The Texas Council on Family Violence (http://www.tcfv.org/) has some startling statistics of domestic violence rates. In 2011, the Council reported 102 women killed in domestic violence and an additional 177,983 incidents of family violence. A 2006 study by the Council highlights the problem for young Texans. According to the study, "more than 27% of young people have been the victim of physical dating violence." And, if emotional and verbal abuse are included, the number jumps to 50%.

Nationwide, the numbers are just as staggering. According to data from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) and the US Justice Department:

- One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.

- One in six women and 1 in 33 men have been a victim of rape or attempted rape.

- 7.8 million women have been raped by an intimate partner at some point in

- 1.3 million women are victims of physical abuse by an intimate partner annually.

- Females between the ages of 20-24 are the greatest risk for nonfatal violence.

NCADV reports that most cases of domestic violence go unreported, but some people are reaching out for help. In 2011, in Texas alone, the Texas Council on Family Violence found that:

- 11,833 adults sought shelter.

- 14,578 children sought sheltered.

- 37,375 adults received counseling, legal advocacy, etc.

- 207,510 hotline calls were answered.

Stopping domestic violence is the responsibility of everyone. Just because you aren't being abused, doesn't mean you can't help a friend, coworker or neighbor who may be in a potentially life threatening situation.

So what can you do? First, watch for the warning signs. The East Texas Crisis Center (http://www.etcc.org/index.html) has a list of things to watch out for. It includes:

You may need to raise a red flag if you see or suspect that one person in a relationship...

• Has gotten the other to the point where they're "not quite themselves" anymore.
• Makes the other person constantly question their actions or personality.
• Calls or text messages the other person excessively.
• Monitors the other person by screening their call logs, phone bills or e-mails.
• Is always showing up unannounced at the person's home, work or hangouts.
• Tells the other what to do, what to wear or how to act.
• Embarrasses the other in public or private through insults or degrading comments.
• Acts jealous a lot and frequently accuses the other person of things (cheating, flirting, etc.).
• Keeps the other person from doing the things they enjoy in life.
• Doesn't ever want the other person to spend any free time with family and friends.
• Controls how the other spends money.
• Uses money as a tool to keep the other person from doing things - or to make them do things.
• Shows or hints at an explosive temper.
• Physically harms the other person, or threatens to.
• Forces the other person to do something sexual, even if it's something the couple has done before.
• Threatens to harm themselves if the other person leaves the relationship.

If you see any of these warning signs or if you are personally experiencing them, there are many resources out there that can help. Nationally, you can call:

- The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

- The National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673

- The National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline: 1-866-331-9474

We also have several local agencies that provide resources, counseling and housing for victims of domestic violence, including Safe Haven of Tarrant County (http://www.safehaventc.org/). They can be reached at 1-877-701-7233.

Finally, I'm proud to say that the City of Arlington has taken a very proactive approach to this problem. In 1987, volunteers initiated the APD Victim Services unit (http://www.arlingtonpd.org/index.asp?nextpg=va.htm). It was one of the first programs of its type in Texas and has won several awards including the Governor's Award for Best Victim Assistance Program in Texas and the IACP/Login Excellence in Victim Services Award by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

The program exists to provide services to victims and family members with the goal of lessening the short and long term trauma experienced as a direct result of victimization. Derrelynn Perryman, supervises this unit and can be reached at [email protected] or at 817- 459-5340.

Domestic violence is an epidemic, on that often goes unnoticed by most of us. But, it will take all of us, dedicating time, attention and resources to help the victims of domestic violence and work toward preventing it in the first place. Domestic Violence Awareness Month is a first step in raising awareness of the issue. It will be our responsibility to not forget about it for the remaining 11 months of the year.