October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to confront a reality that is too common yet too often hidden in silence. Domestic violence — when someone uses coercion or violence to control a partner — causes devastating harm, stripping survivors of safety, stability and sometimes, even their lives.
In California alone, domestic violence programs answer more than 400 hotline calls every day. Behind each of those calls is a person, a family and a community left to grapple with the trauma. Domestic violence is not a private matter. It is a public health and public safety issue that demands a united community response.
This year’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month theme, “With Survivors, Always,” reminds us that survivors deserve safety, support and solidarity. These are not optional ideals — they are basic human rights. And they can only be realized when neighbors, leaders, schools, businesses and nonprofits work together to create a culture where survivors are supported and abuse is prevented.
At Community Resource Center (CRC), we see firsthand the courage it takes for someone to seek help. Last year, CRC answered more than 3,000 calls to its 24-hour domestic violence hotline.
Eighty-two individuals found refuge in our emergency shelter, with over 1,600 bed nights provided in our shelter and transitional housing, and our Therapeutic Children’s Center offered trauma-informed care to 52 children, helping them heal from the violence they had witnessed. Each of these numbers tells a story of survival and resilience.
But they also reveal the magnitude of the need.
For many survivors, escaping violence isn’t as simple as leaving. Lack of affordable housing, economic insecurity, immigration status and discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation can trap people in dangerous situations.
Too often, survivors are forced to choose between homelessness and abuse. As one of our survivors told us: “The abuse got really bad, and I had to leave everything to be free of him so that I could be safe. Homelessness was preferable to abuse.” In fact, 22% of unhoused individuals in California report experiencing domestic violence. This heartbreaking statistic illustrates how deeply connected domestic violence is to broader community challenges.
Ending domestic violence requires more than crisis intervention. It requires prevention. Last year, CRC provided 3,987 individuals with prevention education and resources, helping to break the cycle of abuse and build safer communities.
We must invest more in healthy relationship education for youth, community outreach that shifts cultural norms and policies that expand housing and economic security. Prevention lowers the risk of violence, strengthens the social safety net and creates pathways to healthier, safer lives.
At CRC, we believe everyone has a role to play. Community members can volunteer their time, donate to organizations like ours or advocate for policies that prioritize survivor safety and economic stability.
Schools and parents can teach young people what respect, consent and healthy communication look like. Businesses can support employees who may be experiencing abuse. And as a community, we can break the stigma by listening to survivors, believing them and ensuring they know they are not alone.
Domestic violence is preventable. But prevention requires a commitment from all of us — to see survivors, to support them and to build a future where abuse is not tolerated.
This October, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we invite our community to stand with survivors, always. Together, we can break the silence, end the cycle and create a safer, more compassionate Encinitas and North County for generations to come.
John Van Cleef is the CEO of the Community Resource Center in Encinitas.
