OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — An Oklahoma bill that would upgrade the penalty for domestic violence committed in the presence of a child from a misdemeanor to a felony on the first offense has passed the state Senate with overwhelming support.
The Oklahoma Senate passed Senate Bill 1238 42-3.
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Bill Coleman, would upgrade the penalty for domestic violence committed in the presence of a child from a misdemeanor to a felony on the very first offense. Under current law, the charge carries a sentence of 6 months to one year. The new bill would upgrade those charges to one to five years on the first offense.
Coleman says the numbers behind the bill are alarming, noting that girls raised in abusive homes are 6 times more likely to stay in abusive relationships, and boys who witness abuse are 10 times more likely to become abusers themselves as adults.
"They were very alarming to me, CJ. Another number is uh 70% of people who go into a batterer's program, uh, those that have committed domestic violence and have to go through a program, 70% report they witnessed it as a child," Coleman said.
I also spoke with Rhonda Houston, executive director of Ray of Hope Advocacy Center, who sent this statement:
"Domestic violence has profound impact on children. But harsher penalties alone are not enough to break the cycle of family violence. We must also ensure that the systems responding to these families — law enforcement, prosecutors, child welfare — are equipped with trauma-informed training," Houston said.
The bill now moves to the House for consideration. If it passes there, it would head to the governor's desk.
If your are looking for assistance regarding this topic, you can head over to Domestic Violence Intervention Services in Tulsa, or a local Child Advocacy Group.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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