Thousands of Bronx and city domestic violence victims have been getting help since the Mayor?s Office to Combat Domestic Violence was created five years ago.

Part of the city?s domestic violence awareness campaign involves posters and ads with pictures of victims? bruises. Officials say one of the best ways to combat domestic violence is to shine the spotlight on the problem. Since the city launched the campaign, officials have seen a 64 percent increase in calls.

Many efforts have been made by the city to help domestic violence victims. The city hired interpreters trained in more than 150 languages to help those non-English speaking victims. Also, medical officials at the city?s public hospitals have been trained to identify domestic violence victims, document their injuries and connect them with social and legal services. Another new program implemented by the city?s housing authority assists victims in relocating to another subsidized housing unit.