Every year, the MAG Regional Council approves a resolution honoring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This year, the resolution also recognizes the accomplishments of the Regional Domestic Violence Council over the past 25 years. Domestic Violence, General News Sometimes something is so shocking, so overwhelming, it can spark much needed change. That was the case 25 years ago after a Phoenix mother, Laura Muñoz, was stabbed to death by her abusive husband in front of her six children. The horrific crime happened after she had been turned away from the eight existing domestic violence shelters because there were not enough beds for them. Tragedy Leads to Change Laura Muñoz’s murder galvanized the community and, in 1999, led to the creation of the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Regional Domestic Violence Council. The move brought together governments, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, healthcare, shelter and service providers, and other community leaders to address and prevent domestic violence in the region. The following decades have seen the region implement many initiatives to protect domestic violence victims of all ages, incomes, and backgrounds, including the creation of regional protocols to hold abusers accountable. Every year, the MAG Regional Council approves a resolution honoring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This year, the resolution also recognizes the accomplishments of the Regional Domestic Violence Council over the past 25 years. “We were formed due to the intense commitment to strengthen the region’s response to domestic violence,” said MAG Regional Domestic Violence Council Chair D.C. (Dolores) Ernst. “This model is still making a difference.” Slow Boil of Toxic Abuse Speaking out is a powerful tool in countering the devastating impacts domestic violence has on its victims. Stories of survival, and sometimes tragedies such as Laura Muñoz’s, can lead to lasting change. During the October meeting of the MAG Regional Domestic Violence Council, Celina, a survivor of domestic violence, shared her story. “In this 12-year relationship, the only way I can describe it is a slow boil,” Celina told the council. She and her children and their pets all became victims to her now ex-husband. “Within this slow boil, we had subtle steps out of our comfort zones, our boundaries, and our identities. Much of our identities were curated to circle around his needs and his desires. Our family dynamic was consumed with toxic abuse and a way that it normalized abuse for my children.” Celina, who is now a speaker with Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, detailed years of emotional, mental, and physical abuse until she was finally able to leave. “It took me four months to get into a domestic violence shelter, putting everyone around me in danger,” she said. The stalking and threats continued. “It was very clear that he had no love for us. He was not in love with us. He was in control of us, and he lost control.” Celina spent a year in domestic violence shelters. When her ex-husband found her in one, she decided not to hide anymore and to speak up. “I decided to make myself bigger and share my voice with others.” She was able to share her story with a local TV station and help bring about change in military units in addressing domestic violence. “Sharing my voice, I realized the impact, not only the impact to me but on a systems level.” Changing the System “Until the Regional Domestic Violence Council was created, there was no holistic collaboration being conducted in the region. There was no consistency,” recalls Peggy Bilsten, the first chair of the council. “Inconsistencies ranged from how domestic violence was defined, to how evidence was collected, to how abusers were arrested and prosecuted. Domestic violence calls were among the most dangerous calls police officers responded to, and there was no standard way of responding to that.” Efforts of the council included developing a model of best practices for law enforcement to establish consistent protocols for arresting offenders, creating a resource guide for employers, distributing a toolkit for healthcare workers that contained materials for screening and treating domestic violence victims in the emergency room, and a regionwide placement of brochures with safety tips and shoe cards in restrooms across the region to provide emergency numbers and information in a place where abusers couldn’t follow. Over the years, the council has amplified the stories of survivors of all ages and incomes, with a focus on teen violence, older adult abuse, the link between domestic violence and animal abuse, legal rights, tech safety, the establishment of text to 9-1-1, lethality assessments, protective orders, emotional abuse, employer safety, how to recognize the signs of domestic violence, how to speak up, the link between domestic violence and homelessness, and more. Published October 15, 2024