Our Speaker, Nicole Beverly holds a Master's Degree in Clinical Social Work and is the author of the compelling memoir, Finding Nicole, A True Story of Love, Loss, Betrayal, Fear and Hope. Surviving domestic violence and stalking, and having lived under threats of murder from her ex-husband, she became and continues to be a passionate advocate for other survivors of intimate partner violence. The process of leaving her abusive ex-husband brought her up short against the legal system. Though meant to protect her, legal institutions often left her and her two sons in extreme danger. Her experiences led her to found The ENOUGH Initiative Domestic Violence Prevention Organization, which provides resources to help others experiencing similar threats. Nicole is currently its president.

While some may see domestic violence falling more under law enforcement, it has huge impacts on survivors’ health and thus public health.

How extensive is the problem? According to the NCADV, in 2019 in Michigan, 36% of women and about a quarter of men experienced some form of intimate partner violence. This affects the community through homelessness, with a survey from the NNEDV reporting that over 63% of homeless subjects reported intimate partner violence. Another is the danger of an abuser taking control of the family finances and absconding with resources that should belong to both. Further, when survivors must change their identities and relocate in order to hide from their abusers, they lose work histories and references that hinder them from finding new employment.

These significant stressors exacerbate the numerous short and long term physical health issues found in domestic violence victims, further undermining survivor well-being and creating a serious public health problem.

We cannot turn away from the huge costs, in survivors’ personal and economic well-being and public health, that domestic violence causes. What can we as voters and citizens do to take action against it? What are the policy issues that we can support in this fight? Our speaker today can help us understand what we can do.