To promote pro bono legal services as a critical way in which to empower survivors of domestic abuse, on September 4, 2018, President Trump signed into law the Pro Bono Work to Empower and Represent Act of 2018 (“POWER Act”). The annual event requirement was scheduled to expire in 2022, but the POWER Act 2.0 made that requirement permanent.
Attorneys wanting to perform Pro Bono services are encouraged to reach out to the Memphis and Jackson resources identified below to offer services.
Domestic abuse comes in many forms, from physical abuse, psychological abuse and economic abuse to sexual assault and stalking, and affects millions of people in the United States every year. Data collected from various sources reveals the stark realities of domestic abuse:
Nearly 20 people/minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. 1
Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime.
Almost half of all women and men have experienced at least one psychologically aggressive behavior by an intimate partner.3
94-99% of domestic violence victims have also experienced economic abuse. 4
Nearly half of female and male victims of rape in the United States were raped by an acquaintance. Of these, 45.4% of female rape victims and 29% of male rape victims were raped by an intimate partner.5 5
19.3 million women and 5.1 million men in the United States have been stalked in their lifetime. 6
39.6% of women in Tennessee and 36.8% of men in Tennessee experience intimate partner physical violence, rape and/or stalking in their lifetime. 7
69,385
The number of reports of domestic violence responded to by Tennessee law enforcement in 2020. 8
While the cost of domestic abuse is great, there are resources in our community that can help. Tennessee provides, at no cost, templates of Orders of Protection. There are also many local resources available to help:
- The Cycle of Violence – understand the patterns of behavior frequently found in abusive relationships
- Domestic Violence: The Warning List – recognize the warning signs that you or someone you know is in a violent relationship
- Domestic Violence-Safety Checklist – be prepared to protect yourself and loved ones from abuse
- Tennessee Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights – understand your rights as a crime victim
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence there are many local resources available to help:
Memphis:
- Moriah House
901-526-8403 / 901-526-8434 - Kindred Place
901-276-2200 / 901-276-6828 - Memphis Area Legal Services
901-523-8822 / 866-361-9001 (Memphis)
901-523-8822 / 866-207-6386 (Covington) - CasaLuz
901-500-8214
Jackson:
- West Tennessee Legal Services
731-423-0616 / 800-372-8346 - Safe Hope Center
731-425-8185 - Wo/Men’s Resource and Rape Assistance Program (W.R.A.P.)
731-668-0411 / 800-273-8712
National:
- VINE (Victim Notification Network)
888-868-4631 - Tennessee Domestic Violence Hotline
800-356-6767 - Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence
615-386-9406 / 800-289-9018 - National Domestic Violence Hotline
800-799-7233 - Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network
800-656-4673
Public Law 115-237 POWER Act
Office of Violence Against Women: Domestic Violence
Preventing Intimate Partner Violence: How big is the problem?
The Duluth Model
Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit 2022 Powerpoint Presentation
In the event of an emergency, victims of domestic violence should call 911 or contact state or local law enforcement.