Over 300 people pre-registered and participated in the ‘5-K Run/Walk/Roll to End Domestic Violence’ sponsored by the Bronx District Attorney, Darcel D. Clark, on Saturday, Oct. 16. The event took place along the Grand Concourse, from East 170th Street in Mt Eden to East 161st Street in the Concourse to coincide with Domestic Violence (DV) Awareness Month.

 

The fourth, annual, in-person event to take place in the borough in the last five years shut down the Grand Concourse to vehicular traffic, and was held in partnership with the New York Yankees and the State University of New York (SUNY).

 

Clark said the pandemic forced her office to hold the annual run as a virtual event, last year. This year, ahead of the event, she said, “We will honor the resilience of domestic violence survivors and hopefully raise awareness to prevent these incidents.”

 

Clark continued, “Domestic violence affects so many people through physical, emotional, sexual and psychological abuse; and knows no race, gender or social status. My domestic violence bureau prosecutes those who commit these crimes.” The district attorney added that her office is currently prosecuting over 1,500 misdemeanor and 175 felony cases of domestic violence.

 

Between 2017 and 2018, intimate partner homicides in the Bronx increased by 85.7 percent, from seven in 2017, to 13 in 2018, according to a 2019 report by the New York City DV Fatality Review Committee.

 

The district attorney explained that the crime victim assistance unit at her office offers therapy sessions to survivors, and referrals to the Bronx Family Justice Center for additional services. It also offers referrals to the early victim engagement (EVE) program, where advocates work with survivors from the time of an abuser’s arraignment and helps keep survivors informed of developments in their legal cases.

 

Along the Grand Concourse, three women, Carmen, Sharon, and Joy whose full names are not being disclosed and who were observed hugging, crying, and praying, seemed like they were life-long friends, but they had just met on the day of the 5K run.

 

Concourse resident, Sharon, explained, “I was going to have a coffee over there and I see the 5K run… I was like, ‘Okay! What’s the 5K about?’ And then, it says ‘domestic violence’ and I had to get involved, and I put a shirt on.” She continued, “We are all victims of domestic violence. It’s real funny because I thought my story was bad, which is why you saw us here, praying, but by the blood of Jesus, when I saw my sisters I met today… we all had the same story.”

 

Explaining how she was unaware she was being emotionally and sexually abused over the course of her 25-year marriage, Sharon added, “I never knew I was in an abusive relationship until I went onto YouTube, and I found out about the word ‘narcissist’ and everything just started coming out.”

Meanwhile, Carmen said, “I lost my sister to domestic violence. She was killed by her husband…and my nephew, he killed both of them. My nephew was 19 and she was 35. He was trying to kill her, and he killed them both.” Carmen said her sister’s killer died in jail, adding, “and one year after that, my husband tried to kill me one night too. He tried to choke me. I was a fighter, and God helped me escape.”

 

As walkers and runners made their way back to East 161st Street, Clark was seen standing under a stream of dozens of large purple and white balloons, congratulating individual participants with a congratulatory “high-five” as they crossed the finish line.

 

On Thursday, Oct. 21, the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic & Gender Based Violence announced that all major New York City landmarks across the five boroughs would be lit in purple for the 8^th annual, “NYC Go Purple Day.” Among the targeted city landmarks were the Bronx County Courthouse and Yankee Stadium.

 

Norwood News went to Yankee Stadium to take some photos of the occasion on the night in question but did not witness any purple lighting at the venue. Last year, we were advised that the Bronx County Courthouse would similarly be lit up (on that occasion, in orange) to highlight “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence,” but similarly, there was no visible lighting on the building on that occasion either. We reached out to the mayor’s office for comment, and a representative said she would look into the matter.

 

On Friday, Oct. 29, the mayor’s office also held an event for technicians working in the hair, nail and beauty industry to train them to recognize victims of domestic abuse, and how they can look out for signs of abuse and potentially help victims. Other virtual events were also held over the course of the month, including de-escalation and self-defense classes, the impact of DV on children, and the intersection between domestic violence and animal cruelty.

 

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 1620, the Violence Against Women Act of 2021 and H.R. 2119, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 2021. Both bills head to the U.S. Senate for more debate before a vote is taken, and before they become law with President Joe Biden’s signature.

 

As reported, in recognition of DV Awareness Month, on Oct. 1, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $6.5 million in funding that will allow state-licensed service providers to offer survivors of domestic violence and their families options for assistance and support, instead of relying on shelter-based services. Representatives from the governor’s office said the funding will also be used to enhance DV prevention programs.

 

Earlier this year, Norwood News reported on services available to those who are experiencing stalking and cyber-stalking.

 

Addiction Group is a Chicago-based, informational web guide that helps those struggling with alcohol use disorders (AUD), substance use disorders (SUD), and/or co-occurring mental health disorders, find treatment for their addiction. The group writes that 11 million women and 5 million men in the United States will experience sexual or physical violence in their lifetimes, but what many don’t realize is that such violence is often linked to drugs and alcohol. The group writes that domestic violence is 11 times more likely after heavy drug or alcohol consumption. 

 

In this article, Addiction Group covers various aspects of what is a complex issue, including:

• the link between violence and mental illness;

• how to see the warning signs of domestic violence; and

• resources and treatment options for those in abusive relationships. 

 

The Bronx District Attorney’s office urges anyone suffering at the hands of an abuser to immediately contact the Bronx D.A.’s crime victim assistance unit at (718) 590-2115. The Bronx Family Justice Center can be reached on (718) 508 1220. For more help & resources, visit https://on.nyc.gov/2BqhBe8. or call 1-800-621-4673 (HOPE).

 

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story.