It is not.

We are a coalition made up of individuals. More and more, our coalition staff is based around WI, in the communities where homicides occur. Many of us have personally experienced or witnessed the suffering resulting from violence. Some days, we struggle. We feel the pain of loss, despite our best efforts to prevent it.

We are also a coalition of professionals who know with certainty that our work has impact. We will continue this work to realize a better future, and we’ll base it in our shared humanity.

Domestic violence homicides occur statewide. Some may think that every time they occur, they are reported – accurately and uniformly – in our news cycles.

They are not.

Too often, they go unreported, are misconstrued, or are not understood as domestic violence – especially when they occur in marginalized communities. We try to balance speaking out when homicides occur, while respecting the wishes of the impacted communities and not contributing to the under-reporting of violence against marginalized folks. In the wake of multiple deaths in the past few weeks, we are revisiting what our role can and should be in response to homicides that occur in our state. We – as individuals and as professionals – are constantly learning and asking how we can do better.

The recent tragic death of Kaylie Juga in Kenosha has made national news. Our hearts remain with those impacted, and we remain dedicated to preventing this violence before it takes root.

Our Dare2Know statewide prevention initiative promotes healthy teen relationships. It is as powerful as we collectively make it. Get involved: www.dare2knowwi.org

Our homicide prevention work is ongoing. It’s difficult to count the number of homicides prevented as a result of this work, but we continue these efforts, knowing they are impacting communities now and in future years. Learn more: https://www.endabusewi.org/our-work/homicide-prevention/

Support for Kaylie’s family can be given at https://www.gofundme.com/juga-family-recovery