Even when children aren't the target of family violence, those who witness abuse in their homes do not escape unscathed. Tragically, they too are victims, with effects that can include physical, psychological, and behavioral problems. Moreover, many of the millions of children who suffer or witness abuse in their homes grow up to perpetuate the legacy of family violence. A report by the American Psychological Association found that a "child's exposure to the father abusing the mother is the strongest risk factor for transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next."
In addition to the tragic human cost of domestic violence, it also imposes a strong economic cost. According to one estimate by the American Medical Association, domestic violence costs the nation from $5 to $10 billion annually in medical expenses, police and court costs, shelters and foster care, sick leave, absenteeism, and non-productivity. Add the untold costs in suffering and destroyed lives caused by domestic abuse, and the need to more effectively intervene and break the cycle of violence becomes even more compelling. Information technology has improved many aspects of our lives in recent years, and it is time we used advances in technology to help victims and break the cycle of domestic violence. To that end, I have joined with a bipartisan group of senators in authoring the National Domestic Violence Hotline Enhancement Act. This legislation would authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to oversee the creation of a secure web site that would link every domestic violence shelter and service provider in the United States and the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
The objective is to enable victims of domestic violence and their families who are seeking safety from abuse to more quickly and easily find the shelter and other services they so desperately need. The secure and confidential web site would keep a continuously updated, nationwide list of available shelter and services, such as transportation and children's services, for victims of domestic violence and their families.
Once the web site is operational, whenever a woman calls the Hotline, a shelter or other domestic violence project, the operator can immediately check the site and get an up-to-date listing of available shelters and services around the country. With a single phone call, a victim of domestic violence and her family can be placed in the most appropriate shelter to meet their needs or more quickly obtain the other services that will enable them to escape a dangerous situation. The National Domestic Violence Hotline Enhancement Act will do just that by more effectively helping women and children escape unsafe and violent situations.
To achieve the goal of linking the National Domestic Violence Hotline and every domestic violence shelter and service provider on an electronic network, the legislation authorizes the use of funds to provide Internet access and training to shelters that currently do not have the necessary technology. This is a critical element of the bill because only 43 percent of shelters in the United States have Internet access, leaving over half of all shelters without services that many of us now take for granted.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline Enhancement Act would create a national domestic violence website and secure network, and it will give service providers the tools to both contribute to and benefit from that network. By doing so, the bill would help ensure that hundreds of thousands of women and children in need of help to escape violence will find the safety and well-being they deserve.
In company with this legislation, I have also joined as the lead Republican supporter of the Family Violence Prevention Act. This legislation recognizes that violence in the home is not often confined to a single form of abuse as spousal abuse is often accompanied by child abuse and elder abuse. Therefore, it would create an Office of Family Violence to coordinate federal programs to assist all victims of domestic abuse — women, children, and the elderly. In addition, it would direct the development of a website to provide information on all federal resources available to combat family violence and research efforts underway. It would also create five research centers for family violence and link them to local and community resources so that the knowledge gained through these endeavors can be put to practical use. Finally, it would establish new grants for to train health professionals in the treatment of victims of family violence. Together, I am hopeful that these efforts will help those victims of violence in the home receive the assistance they desperately need.