Domestic Violence: Problem cuts across all socio-economic classes
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Editor's Note: This is the first part of a three-part series on domestic violence. Today's install ment explains and quatifies the problem. Part two will deal with what victims can do to get out of abusive relationships and how to recognize a perpetrator before the violence begins. Part three will show what legal advice is available, where a victim can go to escape an abusive relationship and what kind of therapy and assistance they can receive.
Every 15 seconds the crime of battery occurs.
Does that statement mean anything to you? Does it affect you in any way?
No?
What about this one:
More than half of all women will experience physical violence in an intimate relationship.
Anything that time?
Still no? Well, here's a few more to get you up to speed:
Domestic violence is the leading cause of emergency room visits by women.
Abuse is a pattern. Once violence begins in a relationship, it gets worse and more frequent over time.
Children raised in violent homes are 74 percent more likely to commit assault.
Hopefully that will open up your eyes some, but for those who are still a little fuzzy on the point, just remember: 52 percent of female murder victims are killed by their partners.
The above figures are in a brochure distributed by the Kosciusko County Domestic Violence Task Force. The source was the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Now, for those who think domestic violence only happens outside Kosciusko County, here's a little fact for you: 425 domestic violence cases were reported to the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department in 1997.
That figure does not include the cases reported to each of the individual city police agencies.
The Warsaw Police Department reported 92 cases of domestic violence in 1997. North Webster police reported that from June of 1997 to June 1998 there were 25 domestic violence cases with an additional 10 to 15 cases related to domestic violence.
With just the county, Warsaw and North Webster figures, there are enough cases to have 2.1 acts of domestic violence occur every day for the entire year.
On the national level, 6 million American women are beaten each year and 4,000 are beaten to death.
Anne O'Dell, training director for the San Diego police department, spoke at Lakeview Middle School last week about domestic violence, why it happens, who it affects and how the police and community can help prevent it.
One of the first steps in addressing domestic violence is to eliminate the myths associated with it, she said.
Some people believe domestic violence is a social disorder, she said, where the lower class, under-educated and poor are the only perpetrators.
According to O'Dell, perpetrators can be doctors, ministers, psychologists, cops, attorneys and judges.
The most infamous example of domestic violence was the O.J. Simpson case. Simpson was definitely not under-educated, lower class or poor.
Another common belief is that the perpetrators cannot "control themselves," and that is why they hit. The problem with that reasoning is fairly obvious, O'Dell said. If control is the problem, perpetrators would batter their bosses at work after arguments. Instead, they wait until they go home and batter their partners.
"They control themselves sufficiently enough to pick a safe target," said O'Dell.
They also take the time to pick where they hit their victims, she said: 60 percent of the time the bruises will not be visible to the casual observer.
Medpark Behavioral Health Services and Kosciusko Community Hospital said that 15 to 25 percent of pregnant woman are battered.
The reasons behind this, according to O'Dell, is that the man often does not want the child, especially in unplanned pregnancies.
It is a common belief that a woman in an abusive relationship can just leave. Not only is this belief false but, if a woman tries to leave, she may put herself in even more danger than if she stays, O'Dell said.
"Battered women considering leaving their assailants are faced with the very real possibility of severe physical damage or even death," said O'Dell. "Assailants deliberately isolate their partners and deprive them of jobs, of opportunities for acquiring education and job skills. This, combined with unequal opportunities for women in general and lack of affordable child care, makes it excruciatingly difficult for women to leave."
Domestic violence is not, as some might say, a "one-time" occurrence, O'Dell said. Despite the husband's pleading, "I'm sorry, honey, it will never happen again. Just come on back, I promise I'll never hurt you again," it is a recurring nightmare for most victims.
O'Dell said, "Battering is a pattern, a reign of force and terror. Once violence begins in a relationship, it gets worse and more frequent over a period. Battering is not just one physical attack. It is a number of tactics (intimidation, threats, economic deprivation, psychological and sexual abuse) used repeatedly. Physical violence is one of those tactics."
No matter what excuses a perpetrator uses to explain why they battered their partner, "none of it is an excuse for violence," said O'Dell. "There is no law in the world against being a bitch." [[In-content Ad]]
Editor's Note: This is the first part of a three-part series on domestic violence. Today's install ment explains and quatifies the problem. Part two will deal with what victims can do to get out of abusive relationships and how to recognize a perpetrator before the violence begins. Part three will show what legal advice is available, where a victim can go to escape an abusive relationship and what kind of therapy and assistance they can receive.
Every 15 seconds the crime of battery occurs.
Does that statement mean anything to you? Does it affect you in any way?
No?
What about this one:
More than half of all women will experience physical violence in an intimate relationship.
Anything that time?
Still no? Well, here's a few more to get you up to speed:
Domestic violence is the leading cause of emergency room visits by women.
Abuse is a pattern. Once violence begins in a relationship, it gets worse and more frequent over time.
Children raised in violent homes are 74 percent more likely to commit assault.
Hopefully that will open up your eyes some, but for those who are still a little fuzzy on the point, just remember: 52 percent of female murder victims are killed by their partners.
The above figures are in a brochure distributed by the Kosciusko County Domestic Violence Task Force. The source was the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Now, for those who think domestic violence only happens outside Kosciusko County, here's a little fact for you: 425 domestic violence cases were reported to the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department in 1997.
That figure does not include the cases reported to each of the individual city police agencies.
The Warsaw Police Department reported 92 cases of domestic violence in 1997. North Webster police reported that from June of 1997 to June 1998 there were 25 domestic violence cases with an additional 10 to 15 cases related to domestic violence.
With just the county, Warsaw and North Webster figures, there are enough cases to have 2.1 acts of domestic violence occur every day for the entire year.
On the national level, 6 million American women are beaten each year and 4,000 are beaten to death.
Anne O'Dell, training director for the San Diego police department, spoke at Lakeview Middle School last week about domestic violence, why it happens, who it affects and how the police and community can help prevent it.
One of the first steps in addressing domestic violence is to eliminate the myths associated with it, she said.
Some people believe domestic violence is a social disorder, she said, where the lower class, under-educated and poor are the only perpetrators.
According to O'Dell, perpetrators can be doctors, ministers, psychologists, cops, attorneys and judges.
The most infamous example of domestic violence was the O.J. Simpson case. Simpson was definitely not under-educated, lower class or poor.
Another common belief is that the perpetrators cannot "control themselves," and that is why they hit. The problem with that reasoning is fairly obvious, O'Dell said. If control is the problem, perpetrators would batter their bosses at work after arguments. Instead, they wait until they go home and batter their partners.
"They control themselves sufficiently enough to pick a safe target," said O'Dell.
They also take the time to pick where they hit their victims, she said: 60 percent of the time the bruises will not be visible to the casual observer.
Medpark Behavioral Health Services and Kosciusko Community Hospital said that 15 to 25 percent of pregnant woman are battered.
The reasons behind this, according to O'Dell, is that the man often does not want the child, especially in unplanned pregnancies.
It is a common belief that a woman in an abusive relationship can just leave. Not only is this belief false but, if a woman tries to leave, she may put herself in even more danger than if she stays, O'Dell said.
"Battered women considering leaving their assailants are faced with the very real possibility of severe physical damage or even death," said O'Dell. "Assailants deliberately isolate their partners and deprive them of jobs, of opportunities for acquiring education and job skills. This, combined with unequal opportunities for women in general and lack of affordable child care, makes it excruciatingly difficult for women to leave."
Domestic violence is not, as some might say, a "one-time" occurrence, O'Dell said. Despite the husband's pleading, "I'm sorry, honey, it will never happen again. Just come on back, I promise I'll never hurt you again," it is a recurring nightmare for most victims.
O'Dell said, "Battering is a pattern, a reign of force and terror. Once violence begins in a relationship, it gets worse and more frequent over a period. Battering is not just one physical attack. It is a number of tactics (intimidation, threats, economic deprivation, psychological and sexual abuse) used repeatedly. Physical violence is one of those tactics."
No matter what excuses a perpetrator uses to explain why they battered their partner, "none of it is an excuse for violence," said O'Dell. "There is no law in the world against being a bitch." [[In-content Ad]]