The Violence Against Women Act

Domestic violence against women is a very severe problem throughout the United States. Throughout most of history, it has been the responsibility of state governments to respond to cases of domestic violence, as well as to punish offenders. Today, state governments are still the primary enforcer of laws regarding violence against women.

However, recent federal legislation has given the federal government the necessary mechanisms to prosecute individuals who subject their intimate partner to domestic abuse. In 1994, the United States' Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act as a result of the increasing severity and frequency of intimate partner abuse. Congress recognized the long lasting, detrimental effects of intimate partner abuse and the necessity of abolishing this adverse behavior.

This new legislation permitted the federal government to help combat violence against women by establishing laws that are punishable by the federal government. Two laws that provide the federal government with this authority are the Gun Control Act and provisions against interstate travel to commit intimate partner abuse. Because this legislation allows the federal government to prosecute offenders who are responsible for violence against women, perpetrators may be bestowed more severe penalties. The federal government now has jurisdiction to investigate and punish cases of intimate partner abuse.

Additionally, the Violence Against Women Act allocated billions of dollars in order to increase the effectiveness of response to cases of intimate partner abuse, as well as to enhance investigative techniques. This legislation also sought to advocate and to help ensure the prosecution of perpetrators. The Violence Against Women Act designated financial funds to the establishment of a national domestic violence hotline.

This national crisis hotline operates twenty four hours a day, seven days a week in order to provide individuals with essential information, support, and advice. It supplies victims of intimate partner abuse with the encouragement and the counsel that they need in order to escape their harmful environment. The Violence Against Women Act has also made changes in immigration law and allows victims of domestic violence to petition for permanent residency in the United States.

This helps to provide protection to victims who are not citizens of this country and provides them with the freedom that they need in order to begin a safe and healthy future for themselves and their children. The Violence Against Women Act seeks to guarantee that all victims of violence and brutality have access to improved services, despite their race, ethnicity, or what language they speak. This Act allows individuals who are responsible for violence against women to be penalized with fines, jail time, restraining orders, and they may also be required to take part in counseling.

Statistics indicate that since the legislation was passed, the rate of women who are experiencing domestic violence and who are being killed due to intimate partner abuse has decreased notably. The increased awareness about domestic violence has provided abused women with the courage and the strength that is necessary to seek help and assistance for their detrimental situation. The Violence Against Women Act is saving the lives of women throughout the country.