October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, a time to remember that domestic and intimate partner violence is happening all around us, and we may not even know it. More than 250,000 domestic violence complaints were made to the NYPD in 2018, and consider this: 50% of domestic violence incidents go unreported. The Bronx is home to the greatest number of domestic violence attacks of any borough, and D.A. Darcel Clark joins In Focus to talk about the steps her office is taking to make sure more incidents are reported and prosecuted.  She’ll speaks to the reason so much domestic and intimate partner violence goes unreported, and that is fear.  Rachel Braunstein is an attorney who deals with a side of domestic violence that’s not talked about much: the financial factor. Next time you hear someone say, “why didn’t the victim just leave”, here’s why. Often they have been prevented from working, lost their places in the job market and have no access to family funds. Rachel talks about representing women, who make up the majority of domestic violence victims, who sue their abusers for child support.

If you are being abused you can call any of these organizations for help:

Family Justice Centers

1-800-621 HOPE (4673)

Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs

212 788 7654

Arab American Family Support Center

Brooklyn:  718 643 8000

Queens:  718 937 8000

Jewish Association Serving the Aging

212 273 5272

Sanctuary For Families

212 349 6009

Korean American Family Support Center

718 460 3800

The LGBTQ Network

718 514 2155