GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — State advocates for survivors of domestic violence are celebrating the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, re-establishing funding for programs that help survivors right here in West Michigan.

“It’s a wonderful victory for programs that serve survivors,” YWCA West Central Michigan CEO Charisse Mitchell says.

This act was originally passed in 1994 and needs to be reauthorized every five years. It didn’t happen the last time around, and while the YWCA is excited that it’s back, organization leaders say a critical piece of the act was left out once again.

The YWCA has seen a 15 to 25 percent increase in requests for services and calls for support. The organization serves about 4,000 people every year.

“We’ve seen that the pandemic and changes in our communities haven’t stemmed the tide of domestic violence and sexual violence,” Mitchell says.

She says there’s still something missing from the legislation.

“It’s what is called the ‘boyfriend loophole,'” Mitchell says. “It speaks to that if a spouse convicted of a misdemeanor of domestic violence, they can in fact be prohibited from receiving or attaining a firearm, but that prohibition doesn’t exist for dating partners or those under personal protection orders.”

Disagreement over this provision has delayed the acts reauthorization for several years, and it was dropped recently because there just weren’t enough votes in Congress to pass it.

“I think that a lot of lobbying on behalf of  the NRA and other organizations really wanted to limit the provisions that stopped access to guns,” Mitchell says.

She believes the ‘boyfriend loophole’ should be closed.

“Having that access to weapons is such a dangerous factor in many intimate partner relationships, whether they’re married or not. Closing that loophole really does increase safety for all survivors,” Mitchell says.

“Domestic violence is some of the most dangerous incidents that law enforcement officers respond to,” Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young says. 

Her department has seen this rise in domestic violence first-hand. Michigan State Police estimate that domestic violence incidents are up nearly 35 percent since the start of the pandemic.

“When there’s a domestic [incident] and there’s an assault, often it’s not just the victim living in the home,” she says. “It can be first responders that are injured, family that intercedes or friends, etcetera. It can be a very volatile circumstance.”

Mitchell and others with the YWCA are calling on local and state lawmakers to close the ‘boyfriend loophole’ to protect more victims of domestic violence.

“Our work isn’t done,” she says.

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