The incidence of domestic violence had gone from 1.1 million incidents in 1993 to 840,000 incidents in 1996 (Clinton 2003, PAG1). The 23% decline is due in large part to federal, state, and local efforts aimed at providing shelter, intervention, and support for battered women in addition to education, training, and awareness programs for the general public (Clinton 2003, PAG1). Domestic violence against women is still a major social problem. Federal legislation enacted in 1994, the Violence Against Women Act, provided a comprehensive approach to fighting domestic violence. The legislation stiffened penalties for perpetrators of domestic violence, programs offering assistance to battered women, and it called for a grant program known as S.T.O.P. Violence Against Women Formula Grants Program. S.T.O.P. equates to standards, training, officers and prosecutors. The program was developed to help state and local law enforcement agencies and communities better assist battered women.
Federal legislation, grants, and programs like those discussed above have resulted in a variety of shelters for battered women. These shelters are offered by a variety of federal, state, local and even international agencies. From corporations to NGOs, a variety of organizations provide funding and assistance to maintain shelters for battered women. Community efforts by religiously affiliated organizations like the Young WomenÆs Christian Association (YWCA) provide shelters for battered women. In Cincinnati the YWCA recently opened a new shelter that is the result of true community cooperation. The shelter was created by efforts of the YWCA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Bethel Baptist Church, city and state development funds, the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, and the Creative Cottage Outreach Project. Speaking at the opening of the project, former First Lady and New York Senator (Dem) Hillary Clinton (2003) noted th...