ATLANTA - The Georgia Commission on Family Violence (GCFV) will host its 22nd annual Statewide Family Violence Conference at the Jekyll Island Convention Center in Jekyll Island, GA. The conference begins Sunday, September 18 and will run through Wednesday, September 21. The theme of this year’s event is “Mending the Ties that Bind: Domestic Violence and the Family Unit.”

Over 500 local and national community stakeholders including judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, advocates, survivors, faith leaders, counselors and community members have registered for the event. Featured keynote speakers include:

  • Susan Still: Domestic violence survivor and an advocate for battered women and their children

  • Casey Keene: Director of Capacity Building and Education, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence

  • Dr. Johnny Rice II: Senior Program Associate, Supervised Visitation Initiative, Vera Institute of Justice, Center on Victimization and Safety

  • Z. Ruby White Starr: Chief Strategy Officer, Casa de Esperanza

  • Lundy Bancroft: Author, workshop leader, and consultant on domestic abuse and child maltreatment

GCFV Chair, Holly Tuchman says she is looking forward to the upcoming conference. "GCFV is pleased and encouraged by the overwhelming response to the conference this year. As we continue to listen to the lived experiences of victims of domestic violence and their children, it is important that we educate ourselves about best practices and responses needed to break the cycle of violence," said Tuchman.

Local and national professionals will present information on how domestic violence impacts families, including child survivors, familial relationships, and parenting. This year’s event will also include training sessions focused on understanding and supporting victims that have experienced trauma as a result of domestic violence.

GCFV Executive Director Jennifer Thomas said, "Family Violence incident reports sent to the GBI between 2010-2014 indicate that children were present at the scene of over 62,000 family violence incidents; however, we know that this is a dramatic undercount of the children in Georgia experiencing family violence in their homes as not all incidents are reported to law enforcement. The goal of this year’s Statewide Family Violence Conference is to provide educational opportunities for all service providers so that they are better prepared to respond to these children and their families.”

“GCFV believes that all Georgians have a right to be safe in their homes and we are pleased to offer this conference to better ally ourselves with the many services providers across Georgia striving for this goal," added Thomas.

The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) provided scholarships for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault advocates as well as staff from the Department of Family and Children Services to attend the conference.

About The Georgia Commission on Family Violence:

Created by the Georgia General Assembly in 1992, The Georgia Commission on Family Violence is charged with developing a comprehensive state plan for ending family violence in Georgia. If you or someone that you know is being impacted by domestic violence, call 1-800-334-2836 to speak with a domestic violence advocate.

Contact Information:

For more information, please visit gcfv.georgia.gov or contact Jennifer Thomas at [email protected]