Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2025
October: Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2025
This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, ThinkSelf amplifies the message that staying silent allows abuse to continue, especially in the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing communities, where barriers to communication and support too often go unnoticed.
đź“Š Deaf Community & Domestic Violence: What the Research Shows
Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals are 1.5 times more likely than hearing individuals to experience relationship violence — including sexual harassment, psychological abuse, physical assault, and more. [1]
Some studies estimate that about 50% of Deaf women report having experienced domestic violence, compared to roughly 25% in the general (hearing) population. [2]
In a survey of Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals, 7% reported violence in their current relationships, and 44% reported past intimate partner violence. [3]
Though many Deaf individuals report abuse, communication and system barriers hinder reporting and accessing help — including lack of ASL interpretation, inaccessible hotlines or shelters, and mistrust in services not attuned to Deaf culture.
Sources
[1] UMass Medical School: Intimate Partner Violence in the Deaf Community
[2] Nova Southeastern University, JADARA Journal
[3] DomesticShelters.org: The Deaf Endure Domestic Violence More Than Hearing
Key Stats at a Glance
Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects countless lives: from 29% of straight men to 61% of bisexual women, and more than half of transgender and non-binary individuals. Yet, these numbers leave out the Deaf community. Deaf survivors face the same risks, compounded by barriers such as inaccessible crisis services, communication challenges with law enforcement and shelters, and isolation within small communities. The impact is profound and the silence it creates can normalize violence.
At ThinkSelf, our mission is to break that cycle: to amplify Deaf visibility, demand accessible services, and support healing and justice in our communities.
Sources
CDC 2011 – NISVS Report
U.S. Transgender Survey 2015
Peitzmeier 2020 – IPV in Trans Populations
What ThinkSelf Does
- ASL-accessible advocacy: Confidential support via ASL, text, email, or VRS.
- Training for providers: Deaf cultural competence and trauma-informed practices for shelters, hospitals, and law enforcement.
- Peer support & empowerment: Deaf-led support groups and justice advocacy.
- Policy & systems change: Advocating for ADA/VAWA compliance and interpreter access across crisis systems.
- Partnerships: Collaborating with Deaf-led and allied DVSA orgs to expand access.
So What Can You Do?
Take Action with Deaf Communities in Minnesota
As we shine a light on how domestic & sexual violence impacts Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard-of-Hearing survivors – This is how YOU can help.
Learn: Share ASL videos and resources so everyone has access to safety information.
Advocate: Ask local agencies—“Do you provide interpreters and Deaf-aware services?”
Connect: Partner with Deaf-led organizations to co-host events and uplift Deaf voices.
Support: Donate or volunteer to fund interpreters, technology, and survivor services.
Together, we can build a Minnesota where all survivors are seen, heard, believed, and supported.
2024 Violence Free Minnesota Homicide Report
The 2024 Homicide Report provides an overview of Minnesota’s 24 known victims of intimate partner- and domestic violence-related homicide and three suspicious deaths victims alongside policy recommendations to end relationship abuse. The report explores the far-reaching “ecosystem of impact” of domestic violence, illustrating domestic violence as a public health crisis that deeply affects entire communities and poses significant danger to victims and those around them. Every part of an ecosystem is dependent on and affected by other parts. When an ecosystem possesses social conditions such as racial equity and gender justice, harm within the ecosystem decreases and the ecosystem begins to flourish and thrive.
Read the report below:
