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Domestic Violence...
Gynecologist Randy A. Birken, M.D. asked some Northwest
Houston community leaders to join him for a discussion of domestic violence
and what can be done about it. Here is a summary of that conversation with
State Representative Peggy Hamric; Faye Turner, Women Helping Women; Precinct
4 Constable Chief Deputy Karen Moore; and Deborah Svoboda, Crime Victim
Coordinator for Pct. 4 Constables Office.
Setting the Stage...
It has been said that the home is a refuge from life's ever-expanding
battlefield. But, for many, home is more like the front line of a war zone.
Home is where one of this country's most insidious crimes takes place...far
more often than most people realize.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY CRIME.
- It occurs among people of all ages, races, income levels, and educational
backgrounds. The statistics are chilling:
- l Thirty percent of the women murdered
in this country are killed by their husbands, ex-husbands or boyfriends.
- l Three to four million women are beaten
in their homes each year by their husbands or partners.
- l Attacks by husbands or significant others
account for more injuries that require medical attention than do all the
rapes, auto accidents and muggings combined.
- l In Texas alone, 1,308,216 women -- 18
and over -- have experienced physical abuse.
- l A woman is battered every 12 seconds
in the United States.
According to a study conducted late in 1998* and reported in the Journal
of the American Medical Association, more than one out of three women treated
in community hospital emergency departments say they have experienced domestic
violence during their lifetimes. The survey also identified four risk factors
for physical or sexual injury from abuse within the past year: women between
the ages of 18 and 39, who report a monthly income of less than $1000,
who have children younger than 18 years old living in the home, and who
have ended a relationship within the past year. Researchers point out that
heightened awareness among hospital emergency departments because these
may be the only contacts that many abused women have with health care professionals.
Can it happen here?
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According to Harris County Constables Pct. 4 Chief Deputy Karen
Moore, domestic violence not only can but does occur on a regular
basis in our neighborhoods. "Our Department handles 155 abuse cases each
month, which include aggravated and sexual assaults. These cases occur
in the very best, upscale neighborhoods and in the poorest homes. Only
a small percentage get reported," she explained, "because the women are
embarrassed or fear retaliation." |
| "There are many types of abuse in addition to physical violence," Deborah
Svoboda pointed out. "These include sexual, verbal, financial and emotional
abuse."
"An abuser can range from a Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde in a matter of minutes.
Abusers tend to be very possessive of their spouse," she said. "And, very
often they are loners with few friends. They tend to be traditionalist
and regard their illegal actions as their given right. Amazingly," Svoboda
continued, "they see themselves as the victim of either circumstances or
of other people." |
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"I am told that the cycle of violence includes a tension building stage
where conflicts arise without resolutions," Dr. Birken said. "Then,
ultimately, tensions build until they explode into assaults. After a violent
discharge, the batterer becomes apologetic and remorseful, only to repeat
the cycle again and again. It's that single straw of hope that things will
change that seems to keep many women home with an abusive man. How long
does it take before a women makes the decision to leave?" he asked. |
"Research indicates that a woman leaves an average of six times," Chief
Moore said, "before she leaves for good.
Prone to Abuse?
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Many suggest that there is an "abuse-prone personality, and Faye
Turner says she believes they might exist. "Volunteers in our organization
have interviewed women seeking shelter who are perpetually in the victim
mode. They are often very anti-social and very negative, and many believe
they were somehow responsible for the beating they received." |
"It's like watching hands advancing around a clock," Turner explained.
"She knows what she has said and done, and she knows that if she keeps
aggravating her partner sooner or later something will happen. So, she
just figures that whatever the outcome, it was her fault. Perhaps believing
that allows her to divert the blame from her spouse and rationalize staying
with him."
Turner points out that it is never easy to leave. "There are dozens
of decisions a woman has to make before she exits an abusive household.
It's not like just packing up and abandoning ship."
"If she leaves, she has to take on the responsibility of raising her
children alone," Turner continued. "In far too many cases, she stopped
her education when she married and now she suddenly finds herself in need
of marketable skills if she is to enter today's competitive job market."
"Then, perhaps at the heart of it all," Turner suggested, "there is
the reality that she loves this person and any decision to leave will put
an end to however many years she has devoted to their relationship. She
married him, had his children, and leaving him may well be even harder
than putting up with abuse."
This is where a great deal of rationalizing takes place, Turner explains,
blaming a battering incident on "stress from the office." They tell themselves,
"It has never happened before...he said it won't happen again."
Victim's Assistance
The necessary steps to change demand a whole new lifestyle. Through
the Constable's Victim Assistance Program, Svoboda sees hundreds of women
each month at the worst, and possibly the lowest, point of their lives.
"The women are embarrassed and very often unaware of their options,"
Svoboda said. "One of the goals of our program is to inform these women
of their rights. We work to get them counseling, legal aid, emergency housing,
medical care, and child care they need to get through the crisis. We can
sometimes help them get emergency funds through the Texas Crime Victim's
Compensation Fund. Sometimes, we refer them to organizations like Women
Helping Women, where they can learn job skills that lead to better self
esteem and self reliance."
The Legislature Responds
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Rep. Peggy Hamric pointed out that media attention of famous
cases of domestic violence, such as O.J. Simpson and Warren Moon, have
brought public awareness to a new level. People now realize that domestic
violence doesn't just impact certain social and economic groups, but affects
those who appear to be leading "perfect" lives, as well.
"In the last two sessions of the Texas Legislature, bills have been
passed that would have never been considered a few years ago," the State
Representative said. |
"One bill allows a police officer, based on suspicion, to issue an emergency
protective order and take the abuser out of a home for 48 hours. Another
law mandates that police give victims of family violence written notice
of their legal rights and remedies."
"Laws are made because the community demands change. This is certainly
reflected in recent legislative actions regarding abuse," Hamric said.
"As a women's physician, it is becoming increasingly important to be
alert to any outward signs of abuse. There is a fine line, here," Dr. Birken
said, "between being receptive if a
woman wants to confide that she has been battered, and being intrusive."
"What we can do," he suggested, "is to make sure that there is literature
for patients to read in various locations in the office that will provide
information about her options in case of family violence."
"Doctors can be more alert and sensitive to body language, bruises and
other physical signs, and to the interaction between husband and wife when
both spouses are present for consultations."
"Does he tend to dominate the conversation or to answer for his wife?
Are there any other obvious tensions? Is she looking for someone to help
her but perhaps is too afraid to ask for confidential assistance? I guess
it starts with being aware of just how prevalent this problem is and learning
to ask the right questions."
Faye Turner has worked with victims of abuse and domestic violence for
more than five years with Women Helping Women, the non-profit organization
she founded in 1991 to help women learn non-traditional, higher-paying
job skills. She agrees with Dr. Birken that it can be frustrating to want
desperately to help, only to watch a woman return again and again to an
abusive situation.
Formulating A Plan
"In order for there to be real change," she said, "the woman must have
a solid plan of action. She may rehearse it over and over in her mind,
but until she actually takes action, it is only a plan. I ask these women,
'Where do you see yourself a year from now...or ten years from now.' If
she can answer these questions, she can work on meeting her financial needs,
to provide transportation and housing for her and her children, and to
set in motion a plan that will succeed."
"By taking action and being responsible for their own positive outcomes,"
Turner said, "they gain attributes that help to form a strong foundation
for their new life...self-esteem, self-reliance and independence."
Dr. Birken and the Forum participants all agreed that the key to breaking
the cycle of abuse is education. The public needs to have the same intolerance
toward domestic violence and abuse that they have toward child abuse.
"No one wants a sex offender living next door to them," Turner said.
"People need to feel the same way about having someone who abuses his wife
as a neighbor."
Education is needed on the part of victims, as well. There are many
more options now for assistance and protection than in years past and the
Pct. 4 Constable's Victim Assistance Pro-gram provides a wealth of information
-- as well as other, more active assistance -- upon request. One of their
ongoing education efforts is to provide special training to deputies who
encounter domestic violence to help them be more sensitive to the needs
of someone who has been abused, and to the impact the situation has on
the entire family.
Dr. Birken hopes that by keeping the issue in the spotlight, more and
more people will view domestic violence as the insidious crime that it
is and not only insist on tougher penalties for the abusers, but be more
alert and helpful if they suspect that violence has touched a neighbor
or a friend.
Reported by
Cheryl Dorsett Kennedy
* Referenced study was conducted by Stephen Dearwater, M.S.,
Allegheny University of the Health Sciences in Pittsburgh, PA
Reprinted from yourfamilyshealth.com |
