SANDY — Purple balloons soared into the sky and hovered over a justice center on a sunny Tuesday afternoon.
Each of the 272 balloons represented a victim of domestic violence reported in Sandy between Sept. 1, 2013, and Aug. 31, 2014. They were released from inside a net south of Sandy City Justice Court, 210 W. Sego Lily Drive, as a way to raise awareness in the community and remember the victims.
East of the balloons, 508 blue and silver pinwheels decorated the lawn and spun in the wind, representing the number of children in Sandy who witnessed domestic violence during the same time period.
Though there were 26 fewer assaults reported in the city than the previous year and 30 fewer children who witnesses domestic violence, the numbers are still too high, said Sandy Police Chief Kevin Thacker.
"Even if we had just one victim of domestic violence, it would be too many. No one deserves to be abused," Thacker said minutes earlier inside the courthouse.
The balloons were released as part of the city's recognition of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and its commitment to spreading awareness of the impacts of domestic violence, as well as ways to prevent the crime. It was one of several National Domestic Violence Awareness Month events happening in the state in October.
Almost 19 percent of Utah women were victims of intimate partner violence over the past year, according to the Utah Behavioral Risk Surveillance System. In 2008, 14.2 percent of women reported the same. Numbers were not available from the Utah Behavioral Risk Surveillance System for the number of men in the state reporting intimate partner violence.
Nationally, a little more than 24 percent of women and almost 14 percent of men have been victims of "severe physical violence" by an intimate partner at some point in their life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There has been a decline in domestic violence-related deaths in Utah over the past four years, dropping from 14 women and 10 men in 2010 to 10 women and seven men in 2013, according to data from the Utah Department of Health Violence and Injury Prevention.
City officials released a video, "Find Your Voice", in conjunction with Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It encourages individuals to speak out if they know someone who is being abused or if they are being abused themselves, and lists community resources. Officials also released a list of agencies that can help with those who are victims of domestic violence.
Sandy renews its efforts each year to reach those who may not already be aware of domestic violence impacts and resources, or those who were perhaps not in a position to receive the message in the past, according to Sandy Police Sgt. Dean Carriger.
"If you don't do that, you don't get the word out there that can help break that cycle of violence," Carriger said.
Data also show that violence is affecting younger populations: About 7 percent of Utah's high school students in 2013 reported some type of physical abuse by their boyfriend or girlfriend, compared with a 10.3 percent national average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Survey data. About 10.8 percent reported sexual dating violence during the same time in Utah, compared with a 10.4 percent national average.
School officials at the Beehive Science and Technology Academy in Sandy took seven of their student leaders to Tuesday's event to pre-empt the problems of youth bullying and violence. Students interviewed said they were more aware of the problem of domestic violence and the role they can play in the solution.
"If it happens, you can stop it," said Hunter Johnson, 13.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, contact one of the following agencies or visit uw.org/211 to view resources for your county:
Shelters
YWCA, Women in Jeopardy: 801-537-8600
South Valley Sanctuary: 801-255-1095
Crisis lineDomestic Violence Hotline: 801-897-LINK
Child Abuse Reporting Line: 855-323-DCFS
Rape Recovery Center: 801-467-7273
Crisis nurseriesSugarhouse: 801-487-7778
West Valley City: 801-967-4259
Midvale: 801-255-6881
Legal AssistanceFamily Justice Center: 801-236-3370
State legal clinics: 801-238-7990
Source: Sandy Police Department
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