"Domestic violence destroys families, scars children and harms military readiness... We will continue to work to ensure that every home is a safe home," Deputy Defense Undersecretary for Military Community and Family Policy Leslye Arsht said.
The Pentagon has consolidated 14 policies into one broad guideline, titled, "Domestic Abuse Involving DoD Military and Certain Affiliated Personnel." "Publication of this instruction is a significant milestone for the department of Defense and represents a major step forward in our efforts to prevent domestic abuse," Arsht explained.
According to officials, the project started over six years ago, when Congress tasked the Defense Department with updating its policies. The guidelines will help assist members across the military community, including local commanders, law enforcement officials, legal representatives, health care providers, family advocacy staff and chaplains.
Data from the Pentagon showed that in 1998, about 20 in 1,000 families reported spousal abuse. Last year, that number dropped by about half. However, Mike Hoskins, a special assistant in the Office of the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy said, "the true scope of the problem is difficult to understand."
"We shouldn't necessarily take comfort in reduced rates of domestic violence. It is highly likely that is a good-news story, in that prevention, education and awareness efforts are working, but we need to be also cognizant of the possibility that we are making it more difficult for victims to come forward and receive assistance. So we have to interpret with caution those numbers," Hoskins added.
