Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings called for 10,000 men and boys to join him this weekend in a rally to end violence against women. He arranged an all-star lineup of speakers and invited politicians and advocates to speak out about domestic violence.
There weren't 10,000 men outside City Hall for the "Men Against Abuse" rally, but the mayor was still upbeat:
“This is amazing that the men of Dallas are this excited about something that is not sports,” Rawlings said to the crowd.
And while there were celebrities on stage -- former Cowboys Emmitt Smith and Roger Staubach to name a few -- football wasn’t the focus. Dallas Police Chief David Brown highlighted the stats on domestic abuse:
“Each year we have over 1,300 domestic abuse cases, 4,000 warrants need to be served, currently outstanding we have about 400 people we are looking for to bring to justice," Brown said. "One message to those abusers, you can run but you can’t hide."
According to the Texas Council on Family Violence, there has been a relatively steady increase in family violence incidents over the last 10 years. Here are more facts on domestic violence in Texas:
- In 2012, there were 26 domestic violence murders in the city of Dallas, double the year before.
- In 2009, 111 women in Texas were killed by their intimate partner. In 2010, that number was 142.
- In 2009, nearly sixteen thousand children in Texas received shelter form domestic violence.
Domestic Violence Resources:
Signs of an abusive relationship
How to help a friend or family member who is being abused
Hotlines:
National Domestic Violence Hotline -1-800-799-SAFE
The Family Place in Dallas - 214-941-1991
Genesis Women's Shelter in Dallas - 214-946-4357
Groups:
TAASA – Texas Association Against Sexual Assault is “The voice of sexual violence survivors in Texas.” TAASA was founded to assist sexual assault survivors.
North Texas Men Against Violence (N.T. MAV) (Denton) A group of men and women concerned with all forms of violence in the community, based in Denton
Project REV – provides resources for victims of dating or domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Part of Texas Women’s University.
