Ohio Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2025: Updates, Statistics, and the Artemis Center’s 40th Year!

Ohio Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2025: Recognizing a Continuing Crisis

October is Ohio Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2025. In October of 1981, it was first observed as a national “Day of Unity”. In 1987 Domestic Violence Awareness Month was established and in 1989 Congress officially designated the month of October to recognize Domestic Violence (DVAM). DVAM provides the opportunity to learn about how prevalent a problem this is in our society, and to learn about the impact domestic violence has on individuals and families. It also was established to show victims as well as survivors of domestic violence that they are not alone in their journey.

The Domestic Relations Court in Montgomery County is just one court in Montgomery County that is tasked with hearing cases where an individual has reached out requesting a protection order from either Domestic or Dating Violence. As of the beginning of October, they have already had 1,675 Petions filed for protection orders in 2025.

In this blog we have often recognized the wonderful organization we have right here in the Miami Valley that zealously works to help domestic violence survivors and their children. As a matter of fact, the Artemis Center, located in downtown Dayton, is celebrating their 40th year of serving domestic violence survivors. Nancy Grigsby is the founder of Artemis which first opened in 1985, and now the center is led by executive director Jane Keiffer. Keiffer has been with the organization for almost 30 years. The center answers around 7,000 calls each year, and it is manned by 18 employees, which includes 11 advocates.

The Artemis Center: 40 Years of Support for Survivors in Dayton

Keiffer said that The Artemis Center provides crisis intervention, safety planning and legal support. Keiffer says “We help with things like filing orders of protection against abusers, understanding the civil and criminal court processes, and support clients through their journey to safety. We’re there to provide emotional and technical support, and to be the voice for a survivor when they need us because it can be an overwhelming process.”

The employees at Artemis Center work not only daily with survivors, but also with court officials, local police, and probation officers to help victims through the process. “We’ve become more respected and embedded in the community, and I think we’re relied upon more than we ever have been, which is a great thing in that our collaborations and avenues of support have strengthened”, Keiffer said. The center was recently awarded a grant that allows them to also provide services to survivors of sexual assault. Click here to see the Artemis Center’s website.

According to recent reports, Ohio Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2025 highlights a sharp increase in fatalities. Ohio has seen a spike in deaths from domestic violence from July 2024 to June 2025. They reported a 37% increase in domestic violence deaths. This is the 10th year of the report and in 2025 there were 157 fatalities, up from the previous year of 114. Thirty-six of Ohio’s eighty-eight counties reported intimate partner violence fatalities in 2025.

Ohio Domestic Violence Statistics Show a Troubling Increase in 2025

Franklin County reported the most fatalities (36), and Cuyahoga County following with (20.) Of the fatalities reported, there were 95 victims and 62 perpetrators with more men than women dying. Of all the fatalities 84 were a result of gun violence. Lisa DeGeeter, who works for the Ohio Domestic Violence Network states, “We’re just stunned by how many more cases there were to go through this year…. how much more violent and brutal the cases were.” She stresses how important it is to reach out for support if you are a victim, or if you know someone who is a victim.

Support is accessible and no one should have to face these challenges alone. These statistics show how vital it is that legislators take action to address these frightening issues. We all need to be advocates to be sure that survivors receive the help and support they need.

Prior Ohio Family Law Blog Posts Regarding Domestic Violence:

Here is a collection of links to 4 of our prior posts regarding domestic violence and the Artemis Center:

• Domestic Violence Cases Continue to Skyrocket! Posted on October 1, 2022.
• Domestic Violence – Let’s Look at the Local Statistics. Posted on March 10, 2018.
• Artemis Center Provides Assistance to Victims of Domestic Violence. Posted October 25, 2014.
• Artemis Center: Domestic Violence Resource Agency. Posted October 25, 2008.

How You Can Help or Get Help During Domestic Violence Awareness Month

As Ohio Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2025 reminds us, support and awareness save lives. If you live in the Miami Valley and are a victim of Domestic Violence, Artemis urges you to reach out through the Montgomery County Crisis Hotline 937-461-HELP (4357). The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-SAFE (7233). If you know of someone who is a victim, and they are too afraid to speak out, know that you can report it for them and remain anonymous if you so choose.

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