Thursday, October 5, 2023

Atlanta, Ga. – DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston was featured as an expert guest on the Atlanta-based talk show Portia Thursday as part of an episode dedicated to domestic violence awareness.  The program also included April Ross, a DV survivor and executive director of the Georgia Commission on Family Violence. 

October is recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Addressing DV has been a priority for DA Boston throughout her career as a prosecutor. 

“We have all been touched by domestic violence in our lives,” said DA Boston.  “We all have a personal story to share whether it’s ourselves, a family member, a friend, a loved one.  You don’t have to go far into your tree or your village to find someone that’s being affected by domestic violence.” 

In 2022, there were 195 known domestic violence fatalities in Georgia; 22 of those were in DeKalb County.  81% of Georgia’s 2022 DV fatalities involved a firearm. 

“The presence of a gun in a home where there is domestic violence increases the chances of a fatality by 400%,” explained DA Boston. 

Last year, there were nearly 130,000 crisis calls to Georgia’s certified family violence and sexual assault agencies, a 21% increase from 2021.

Host Portia Bruner focused the conversation on the warning signs of domestic violence in a relationship including lack of respect, jealousy, stalking, ominous language and intimidation. 

The conversation also offered tips for teenagers and their parents.   DA Boston warned that if a teen is dating someone who uses social media to constantly track where they are and who they are with, that is stalking. 

“Teens are experiencing oftentimes their very first intimate partner relationships,” said DA Boston.  “They have no roadmap or landscape of what that relationship is supposed to look like and so, when these behaviors that we all recognize as signs of abuse emerge, our kids are less likely to see and understand those signs.” 

Portia can be seen weekdays on FOX 5 Atlanta from 1 – 2 p.m.  The program also airs on the streaming platform FOX Soul, as well as on TV stations in Chicago, Houston and the Bay Area. 

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.  For other assistance, please call the 24-hour toll-free Georgia Statewide Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-33-HAVEN (1-800-334-2836).