There are about 9,000 restraining order applications annually and 40,000 family violence-related arrests.
A new task force is being formed to examine family violence in Connecticut and the effects it can have on children.
Speaking yesterday, State Senator Martin Looney said family violence, especially violence directed against children, is a shocking betrayal.
"The children who are the victims of family violence, whether it be outright abuse or neglect, are in a sense victimized by the people who should love them and care for them the most," Looney said.
He said the failure to do that results in tragedy as seen in the case of a Middletown infant who was found dead in the Connecticut River.
The boy's father has admitted tossing the boy from a bridge before jumping in the water below. A judge last month denied the boy's mother a permanent restraining order against the father amid a bitter custody dispute.
According to Karen Jarmoc, head of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, there are about 9,000 restraining order applications annually and 40,000 family violence-related arrests.
This report contains information from the Associated Press.
