Guest AuthorWhat we know about domestic violence in America is appalling.
— One in four women will experience violence during her lifetime. Estimates range from nearly 1 million to as many as 3 million women who are physically abused by their husbands or boyfriends each year.
— Three women per day will die at the hands of their husbands or boyfriends.
— Almost 75 percent of Americans personally know someone who currently is or has been a victim of domestic violence.
— More than 15 million children live in families in which domestic violence occurred at least once in the past year. For 7 million of those children, the violence was classified as “severe.”
— As many as one in five female high school students are sexually assaulted by a boyfriend.
Perhaps the worst thing about these statistics is that it is widely agreed they are under-representative of the actual statistics. Many survivors of domestic violence do not report their abusers to the police or access services. They are ashamed, or afraid, or are being prevented by their abuser from doing so.
There is hope, and there are resources. In Pinellas County, we have Community Action Stops Abuse (CASA), an award-winning shelter and advocacy organization whose vision is “a community without domestic violence so that home is a safe place.”
The CASA shelter is a refuge for those in crisis. The shelter provides safe housing for up to 45 days when home is not a safe place. The location of the shelter, which is always open, is kept confidential.
CASA also provides “gateway housing” — a place for life-skills development and future planning for life away from an abuser. CASA is also involved in youth education and primary prevention work as well.
The Haven, also in Pinellas County and run by Religious Community Services (RCS), provides a similar safe shelter for those in domestic violence situations. However, they also provide shelter for the homeless, and serve as a community food bank. The leadership of RCS sees these three areas of community need — homelessness, hunger, and domestic violence — as “interwoven,” connected.
They are not wrong.
Domestic violence is the third leading cause of homelessness among families, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. We also know that domestic violence can be a leading contributor to poor health for survivors. Chronic, hard-to-treat conditions such as heart disease and gastrointestinal disorders can become more serious because of domestic violence.
Women seeking treatment in emergency rooms due to domestic violence have fewer social and financial resources than other women.
Nationally, domestic violence costs more than $37 billion a year in law enforcement involvement, legal red tape, medical costs, and lost wages and productivity.
Though the facts are hard, the statistics seemingly insurmountable, we do know what works: advocacy, education, prevention. When we stand in support of the work of organizations like CASA and The Haven, we’re taking a step — albeit a small one — in the right direction.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. No one can expect numbers like this to turn around overnight. But my hope is to be able to look at my daughter and truly believe that the world she is growing into is becoming a little safer, not less. I hope that is your vision, too. Think about it this month.
If you need help anywhere in Florida, call the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 500-1119, or call the National Hotline: (800) 799-SAFE (7233).
