Statistics are always surprising and tragic recent events in Novato us has prompted domestic violence carrying back to the forefront[phpbay] Nearly a third of all women murdered in this country are murdered by a partner[phpbay] As advocates of justice for victims of domestic violence, which continue to put on domestic violence in the forefront of our efforts in crime prevention[phpbay]
Domestic violence can take many forms, including physical abuse, verbal or emotional intimidation, denial of rights or sexual assault[phpbay] According to the Department of Justice, one in four U[phpbay]S[phpbay] women experience domestic violence in their lives, one in six will be the victim of an attempted or actual rape, one of every 12 will be stalked[phpbay] Nearly 5[phpbay]3 million acts of intimate partner violence occur each year among U[phpbay]S[phpbay] women 18 years of age, resulting in 2 million injured and nearly 1,300 deaths[phpbay]
Domestic violence is a crime of equal opportunities[phpbay] Victims of domestic violence come from all areas of life, all cultures, all income groups, all ages, both sexes and all religions[phpbay] Victims share feelings of helplessness, isolation, guilt, fear and shame[phpbay] Many domestic violence incidents follow a common pattern called the cycle of violence[phpbay] Violence is often preceded by a stress filling phase during which the victim is threatened, usually followed by verbal or emotional abuse[phpbay] The house is full of tension, fear, anger and confusion affecting everyone, including innocent children[phpbay] This tension building phase ends in an explosion of violence followed by a period of remorse during the which the abuser begins an intense campaign to repair the relationship[phpbay] Family violence has been progressive, and the spiral nature of the research shows that increases in the time in both frequency and severity[phpbay] This is the cycle of violence that must be broken to stop the abuses[phpbay] Victims often feel isolated and do not know that help is available[phpbay]
However, help is available[phpbay] In Marin County, we have a long history of collaboration between advocacy groups for victims, social service providers, prosecutors and agencies and law enforcement, in which we operate at an effective level of prevention, intervention and response to domestic violence[phpbay] In Marin County, Reports of Marin Abused Women's Services that due to community responses coordinated efforts and education, many of the victims to seek help before is too late[phpbay]
However, in the economic climate, victims of domestic violence and families who struggle to control it, you can expect a increase in volume and severity of incidents[phpbay] According to a 2004 study by the National Institute of Justice, women whose male partners experienced two or more periods of unemployment during the course of five years of the study were three times more likely to be victims of abuse[phpbay]
Everyone is entitled to be a safe from domestic violence so here are some things you can do to help themselves before, during or after:
_ Search advice
_ Develop an action plan
_ Identify a neighbor you can tell about the violence and ask them to call the police if they hear a disturbance coming from your home[phpbay]
_ Practice how to leave her home safely
_ Have a bag ready and keep it unknown, however accessible location in order to leave quickly[phpbay]
_ Ask for help[phpbay] Shout out loud! Every time you think you are in danger, leave home and take their children, no matter what time of day or night and go to a house of a friend or a relative or a domestic violence shelter[phpbay]
_ Pursue Legal Options
_ Use your own instincts and trial[phpbay] If your instinct tells you is in danger LISTEN to them and ACT!
_ You have the right to protect itself until out of danger[phpbay]
Call 9-1-1 immediately if you need help[phpbay] You can also call to Marin Abused Women's Services (MAWS) at 415-924-6616, MAWS Men Services: 415-924-1070[phpbay] You can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE[phpbay] Contact your local Crime Prevention Office and request a copy Handbook of Domestic Violence Survival Guide[phpbay]
October is only a few months away and although Halloween tends to steal the limelight: Month is also Domestic Violence Awareness[phpbay] So we have to keep doing what we know makes a difference, as the coordination of programs domestic violence prevention, workshops that teach couples adolescent health, and we must maintain partnerships and funding to ensure one coordinated community response to end domestic violence[phpbay]
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 at 9:32 pm and is filed under halloween.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
