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October 29, 2009
Exclusive: Pandemic of Pain – Violence against women: An International and Domestic Threat* (Part Two of Two)
*Excerpts from her upcoming book Pandemic of Pain: Violence against women in the 21st century, and what we can do about it! ©RB McFee 2009.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE – MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM
When advocates talk about an important cause, they tend to bury the audiences with statistics, as if somehow the sheer magnitude of the information will sway minds and ultimately carry the day. Without question, when speaking about cancer, heart disease, childhood obesity and yes, domestic violence, the numbers are staggering. For example, if the notion that in the time it took you to read the prior sentence, at least one woman has been physically beaten by a loved one doesn’t convince you we have a serious and largely invisible problem in the U.S., nothing will. Just do the math – how many minutes are in a year?
It’s been said that biostatistics are the stories of harmed or sick people with the tears wiped away. Nevertheless, here is a snap shot of what domestic violence is and does to people with whom we socialize, attend church, collaborate, work, and attend community meetings. Every one of us reading this article knows someone who is a victim and possibly an abuser. We may not know which one of our friends is a victim or abuser, but let me be clear – law of averages – we all know at least one person who is.
Consider the following statistics:
· Worldwide, at least 1 in 3 women has been physically or sexually abused during her lifetime.
· Every 15 seconds a women in the U.S. is being battered usually by a husband, boyfriend or intimate partner i.e. someone she knows, trusts and probably loves.
· An American woman is more likely to be assaulted, injured, raped or killed by a male partner than by another type of assailant.
· Estimates of assaults on women by partners range from approximately 2 million to 4 million annually in the U.S.
· Almost 33 percent of all female homicide victims reported in police records were killed by an intimate partner.
· In 70 – 80 percent of intimate partner homicides, no matter which partner was killed, the many physically abused the woman before the murder.
· Intimate partner violence results in more than 18.5 million mental health care visits each year.
· One study suggests the cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $5.8 billion each year
· An additional $37 billion is the result of:
o 16,800 homicides due to intimate partner violence annually.
o 2.2 million medically treated injuries due to intimate partner violence annually, costing $37 billion.
§ Of note – less than 20 percent of victims reported an injury from intimate partner violence sought medical treatment following the injury. Had a larger percent of victims sought care, the financial implications would be more staggering than $37 billion.
· Nearly 7.8 million women have been raped by an intimate partner.
· Approximately 1.5 million people experience intimate partner violence annually.
· 30-60 percent of domestic abusers also abuse children in the household.
· Homicide is one of the leading causes of injury related death among pregnant women and new mothers.
o Black women and women under 20 are at the highest risk.
o Black women are exponentially more likely to be killed after bearing a child than a white woman.
· 37 percent of the women who went to an emergency department for violence related injuries got harmed by their husband or partner.
· Women age 16 – 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence.
· Only about 1 in 4 abused women seek help.
· One in five female high school students reports being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner.
· Nearly 6 percent of couples 60 and older experienced physical violence in their relationship within the past year.
o Of these, 40 percent reported the first violent incident occurred at least 25 years ago.
· One third of homeless families seeking emergency shelter are turned away
o Domestic violence was found to be the primary cause of homelessness more than 50 percent of the time.
· Many victims who leave their abusers face poverty, unemployment, homelessness as a result of leaving.
· Victims of domestic violence are often prevented from getting or keeping jobs by their abusers.
o Often the finances are completely taken away from the abused.
But prevalence, incidence and severity rates do not tell the full story. Truth be told, a much more compelling argument is, was and will always be a discussion about the people who are affected. I try never to forget the women I’ve treated who were victims of domestic violence. They were too many. One is too many. Each has put a hand upon my heart. Sometimes we were able to convince the women to press charges and start a safe new life. Others we knew would become frequent fliers in our exam rooms. Unfortunately, especially given we are supposed to be a learned, dare I say ‘civilized’ society, the number of stories and personal accounts of women, children (and to a much lesser degree men) who have been victims of (criminal) domestic violence in just 2009 would fill up the entire archives of Family Security Matters .
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - A LEADING PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS
If government officials want to really address preventable illnesses that cost the United States an inordinate amount of time, talent and treasure, our nation would be well served if violence against women and intimate partner violence became among the top issues in our domestic policy agenda. If for no other reason than enlightened self interest – women vote. But there’s a more compelling reason: domestic violence is one of, if not the leading public health threats to women in the United States.Domestic violence crosses party, race, religious and socioeconomic line. Consider just the monetary impact of domestic violence on our nation – approximately some estimates in the tens of billions of dollars in direct, indirect and medical bills. And when you realize only about a quarter of women who are abused, battered or raped by their partners seek help, well you can do the math. But these are just direct costs. The long term effects include workplace productivity, police and court involvement, mental health effects and impact upon the children who may or may not be directly targeted in the family violence. But there is a greater issue – the human rights issue.
CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS: ADDRESSING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Tip O’Neill once opined that “all politics are local.” So is preparedness and friendship. Are we the type of friends who would be a safe haven, a Good Samaritan and help a victim? People sit by on the sidelines for a variety of reasons. Fear, concern about saying/doing the wrong thing, lack of knowledge, not sure it is our business, lack of resources and other remedied reasons. The most obscene, of course, is the excuse domestic violence is a private matter between husband (or partner) and wife. Or the notion that some theological text – Bible, Koran, Talmud or other – has anointed the male as the head of the household and thus he is king, master and sole arbiter of his respective “castle.”
One of the most important strategies to curb the problem of domestic violence is to make the abuser a pariah, not the victim. Abusers are not sick, they are not misunderstood, they are not entitled. They have made a choice to use pain to control someone they are supposed to love. It is barbaric, it is morally wrong, it is illegal and it should be treated as the vile scourge to society that it is. Just as we have increasingly and more effectively identified and isolated the pedophile, we must do so with batterers. It would be ludicrous to assert children are the cause of being molested by child molesters. Why should they? Beyond the biodevelopmental reality that yes, they are still kids, what do they do to provoke pedophile behavior? Exactly! As such, society doesn’t put the burden on children as victims of being molested. In the same way, women should not be treated as the cause of their being beaten. But society has failed horribly by placing the burden on women, the victims, as somehow responsible for their attackers’ violence. Unless and until this changes, we will not make substantive progress against domestic violence.
LAW ENFORCEMENT & DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
What about law enforcement – do they care? Yes and no. Responding to a domestic violence call is risky business for cops and a lot are injured or killed at the scene. But if you think it is dangerous for armed cops, imagine being the unarmed civilian living there. It is generally consistent across jurisdictions that family disturbance calls are the largest single category received by most police departments – in some cases representing 30 percent. And they try to slip in the notion that these calls are among the most dangerous and cite fatalities and officer assaults associated with these calls. In reality, 7 percent of officers are killed and 12 percent attacked on these calls. Let’s do the math – 30 percent of officer-dispatched calls result in 7 percent of cop deaths.
Instead, maybe we ought to vilify what causes the other 93 percent of deaths. I could be wrong. But here’s where it gets interesting – instead of looking at that number and saying how can we stop the madness and address the problem, many cops complain about the need to respond – claiming it is dangerous, is the least glamorous, certainly not prestigious and rarely results in the presentation of medals or promotion. Seeing a pattern here?
Not surprisingly, in a recent study comparing male to female police officer perceptions of spousal abuse, women cops were more concerned. Victims’ perceptions were studied as well; female officers were perceived as more concerned, listened better and provided more useful information. What percent of women cops are abused by male coworkers? One wonders if the magnitude is the same as in the military. Clearly, in some circles the perception persists that female cops are somehow not equal to their male counterparts. Internet sites such as Same Shield help dispel that myth and create an important forum for critical issues facing law enforcement, especially women officers.
There are wonderful law enforcement officers who receive DV training and take the plight of their victims seriously, even donating off duty time to the cause. Then there is the dark side of the blue – cops who are batterers. Try arresting a fellow officer or even addressing it in the department. Cops need to be held to the same or higher standard than the people with whom they have been given a license to arrest or shoot should the situation warrant. That is heady responsibility. Those who have much privilege must also shoulder great responsibility.
Too often, cops vilify the call as nothing more than a personal matter; allow everyone to cool off and all will be fine. Some cops get upset at the notion of mandatory arrest. Sometimes women are vilified for recanting or the occasional instance where the woman defends the abuser by taking it out on the cop. These are misdirections and disingenuous. First, most real victims warrant police protection. The overwhelming data support the notion that women who are battered are not a threat to the cops. Period. Second, based upon the psychological warfare component of domestic violence, it is well accepted that it takes an abused woman multiple times before finally committing to leaving. This is not a character flaw but part of the injury process and also a reflection of how poorly society prepares women for the exigency of partner violence and how inadequate are the resources to help victims.
That said, perhaps we ought to make promotions and awards predicated upon how many peoples’ lives we improved over the course of the year and not on being the first of 20 guys at a felony stop. I’m surprised there isn’t a cherry picking lottery – whoever gets the short straw responds to the guy beating the heck out of his wife. To protect and serve, indeed.
A better approach would be to ensure chiefs of police take this crime seriously. If not, they need to be invited to regular visits on the public firing line being held accountable. And to be sure there are police departments with chiefs and officers, men and women, who are united in their efforts to address the problem – such as those in Idaho and certain places in Connecticut, Massachusetts and others. Kansas City has implemented a lethality checklist to help officers protect vulnerable women. But nationwide there are regional differences that reflect a patchwork of laissez faire versus dedicated departments.
Another valuable approach is to create specialty divisions or branches, raise the priority and profile of the crime response in terms of domestic violence and try to get the 30 percent down, not by wishing the problem away or trying to get the laws watered down even more to avoid mandatory arrests or intervention, but in fact to increase the penalties and provide sweeping change, broader resources and address the problem head on. Several departments nationwide have implemented this approach.
But it is worth repeating: unless and until you arrest a fellow officer who uses his wife as a punching bag, the double standard sends a powerful message. It’s a reality and a problem. Being a cop is not an easy job, as the ability to deprive a citizen of life and freedom shouldn’t be easy or taken lightly. Most cops serve with honor, like the rookie cops in Newport, Rhode Island who jumped into frigid water to save a boater. But the domestic violence pandemic of pain cannot be stopped without the right mix of prevention and punishment.
Increasingly, law enforcement is dedicating special units to address domestic violence. This is often in concert with similar specialized units in the district attorney’s office. Just as in medicine, specialty care that is provided by people who are highly trained, interested in and practiced with the problem are better able to do the job effectively. As a society, we should encourage our communities to support these specialty units. Unfortunately with the current financial situation, the most important or vitally necessary programs often are the first to feel the effects of budget cuts. This is the time for community and civic leadership and loud lobbying on behalf of the victims.
DISCUSSION
Perhaps even you or a loved one is at this very moment the victim of abuse. At a time when our attention increasingly changes focuses upon the threats from without – al Qaeda, global jihad to those within our borders, like the growing fifth column of jihadists within our midst, we fail to see the ongoing assault against women in our own towns. It is easy to look across the oceans and point to the Middle East and Africa where women are oppressed, suffer from genital mutilation, and honor beatings or killings. We become almost inured by daily accounts of Palestinian males publicly killing their wives or punishing their sisters, or female babies being abandoned in China, or the human trafficking of women that is commonplace in Africa and Asia. It is easy to dismiss these widespread acts as merely part of ancient and barbaric cultures. And while no one should argue that any culture or society that would sell, subjugate, torture or dehumanize any segment of society – whether by religion, race, sexual orientation, intellectual capacity or gender – is indeed barbaric, the greater question is, what are we going to do about it?
What can we do about domestic violence? Simple – get involved. Here are a few ideas:
· Make it clear in your sphere of influence that this form of behavior is not acceptable.
· Volunteer – time, talent and treasure.
o Nearly every community has an organization dedicated to helping domestic violence victims. Join them.
o If your town doesn’t have one – help start a program.
· Make sure visible resources are prominently displayed where you work.
o Make your workplace domestic violence intolerant.
· If you are in a position of authority – use it.
· Be a positive role model.
· Help guide your place of worship to become a safe harbor for the victim, NOT the abuser
· Work with local policy makers to ensure that the consequences of criminal domestic violence are equal to the crime. A fine or picking up the trash, even a few weeks in jail are hardly justice for broken bones, broken lives.
Some victims’ rights activists suggest creating a national registration of domestic violence orders so women no longer have to re register orders if they move. Others think there is value in creating a national registry of batterers, based in some measure on that used to help communities identify pedophiles. There are repeat offenders who not only inflict multiple assaults on one partner but likely a previous wife or girl friend.
In terms of mentoring, here are some (WARNING) signs everyone embarking upon a new or involved within an existing relationship should know about a person with an abusive personality:
1. Jealousy – abusers are often able to convince victims that jealousy is a sign of love. It is really a sign of insecurity and possessiveness and never should be misinterpreted as a sign of affection. Moreover it is used as a means to control the victim – and is a step towards social isolation. The more isolated a victim becomes, the fewer options she will have to escape and get help.
2. Quick involvement in relationships – abusers may pressure a victim for a serious commitment in a short period of time in order to control. Abusers often charm their way into a victim’s life with promises of a fulfilling relationship in the future. Abusers try to occupy much/most of the victims’ time to maintain control over their lives. They attempt to move in right away or see the person all the time.
3. Unrealistic expectations – Abusers often expect their partners to meet all their needs (physical, sexual, emotional, financial, etc) and to live up to impossible demands. The failure to meet such demands becomes the justification for the abuse, starting an ongoing pattern.
4. Blames others for own problems and feelings – abusers do not take responsibility for their own problems and blame the victim for what goes wrong in their lives. These problems are totally unrelated to the victim but regardless, are used as justification.
5. Hypersensitivity – some abusers are easily insulted and see common setbacks as personal attacks. Abusers may rant and rave about the injustice of things that are really just part of everyday life, again using that as justification to focus abuse on the victim.
6. Cruelty to animals or children – abusers may be cruel and insensitive to the needs of animals and children as well as have expectations beyond that which a child or animal is capable. Abusers have been known to kill a family pet as a warning to the victim, and threats to the children are not uncommon tools to manipulate and coerce the victim.
7. Rigid sex roles – abusers who exhibit rigid sex roles expect their partner to act in a way based upon their gender – often traditional or stereotypical ways.
8. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Abusers may have sudden changes in mood, which is confusing to victims who may be tempted to view such behaviors as a mental health issue because the abuser may be nice one minute and explode with anger the next. This is part of the seduction cycle of alternating charm with violence as a form of manipulation.
No one should settle for abuse just to have a partner. That’s easier said than lived, given society’s obsession with every woman needing a husband, and careers being treated as place holders until earning an “Mrs.” degree.
Sentencing
In King County (Washington State) a Superior Court judge sentenced a man who had committed 8 acts of domestic violence. But he didn’t have to be concerned about hard time in prison – in spite of choking his girlfriend and having 5 different no contact orders issued against him. In fact previous domestic violence barely increased his offender score – which is one metric some jurisdictions use to determine sentencing. Too put this into context, a car thief with a record like that would receive more than 3 years in a state prison. The domestic abuser – 12 months of work release. This is not an isolated event. The sentencing of batterers has changed little in three decades in Washington or most other states. While King County prosecutors estimate
Is it any wonder that a victim is hesitant to come forward and testify against her batterer when the penalties clearly don’t equal the crime and an abuser is likely to be free and able to reinjure the victim? Nationwide, domestic abuse centers are nearly universal in their comments that there should be as much accountability for abusers as for car thieves and that violence against women needs to be taken seriously as a crime – it should be considered a felony, not akin to a parking ticket. In many locales, a history of domestic violence related misdemeanors has no effect on the sentence of someone who then commits an abuse related felony. Consider that an offender who was drunk driving and convicted of misdemeanor faces a much tougher sentence if convicted of a felony traffic offences. It’s the same with other crimes. The leniency of sentencing, of what the crimes are classified as sends a powerful message to abusers, and to society. It is well documented that batterers can escalate if left with minimal consequences. No abusers should get eight chances. Some areas are looking into making the first offences a felony. What a concept! But some of them are encumbered by the standard of prior patterns of abusive behavior – not to split hairs, but if this is your fourth effort at abusive behavior but your first violent one, you aren’t a first time offender. You are a multiple offender – it is just a matter of digress. So you didn’t choke your wife on the first try. What a relief!
While we can all name a case where the judge let a violent abuser off with a slap on the wrist, a wink and a nod to meet at the local tavern in spite of seriously injured his wife, most judges are not irresponsible knuckleheads. True, some of them are too lenient even when the law allows harsher penalties. But in the main, our laws and the sentences associated with domestic violence are pitifully weak and rarely protect the victim. Startling is the reality that the few states that are implementing or considering passing a law allowing judges to treat a first domestic violence offense as a felony is enlightened, even groundbreaking. It is a no brainer. When you beat someone it should not be a misdemeanor. It should not result in a sentence that is the same as that for prankish vandalism. Yet in most states and jurisdictions, unless the recent beating is part of recognized prior multiple acts of violence, the abuser will not likely be treated as a felon, will not likely see jail time and will probably pay a fine and go right back to the neighborhood. Last I checked, the restraining order is on paper and paper cannot stop a fist, a knife or a bullet. I could be wrong. But I’m not. The morgue is filled with women who relied upon the safety of a restraining order. We are so behind the curve on addressing domestic violence.
In College Station a new law allows that if a person commits two or more family violence assaults with bodily injury within a year or strangulation is involved in the assault, the punishment is increased from a misdemeanor to a third degree felony – instead of a year or less in jail, the batterer could be sent to prison for two to ten years. We’re going in the right direction but, once again, before the abuser gets a real punishment, he has to inflict harm more than once. Why not cut the nonsense and treat domestic violence as criminal felony assault in the home?
Oklahoma has a new law that has been touted as groundbreaking: changing first time domestic abuse offense from misdemeanor to felony. And on first blush, it again is in the right direction but the angels are always in the details. In reality, upon first conviction of a domestic violence offense, offenders can be charge with a felony if there is a prior pattern of physical abuse which requires three or more separate instances of violent behavior. How is first time abuse requiring prior bad acts to be treated as a first time, a first time? It’s a start…at least, it is a baby step toward treating domestic violence as a crime. What a thought. Prior to this law, the penalties for animal cruelty were tougher than those for beating your wife. Given Oklahoma is number four in the nation in terms of women killed by men, and had 23,853 cases of domestic abuse in 2008, it was about time they addressed the problem with more than a fine or a ticket. It seems to me that most of the current laws put a yard sale tag on the woman – if her face is slapped the fee (to her abuser) is a ticket, if the abuser breaks his wife’s leg, he gets a week with Barney Fife.
Nevada has developed a best practices guide for all levels of domestic violence prosecutions in the hope of more effectively addressing the problem. Others should follow suit but with the caveat that the time has to fit the crime. And there have to be resources for the victims to resume or re-start their lives in safety.
Until we stop classifying acts of domestic violence as misdemeanors (the abusers are laughing their butts off on that) or giving a 50 cent fine for felony behavior, and start treating people who batter their loved ones as criminals, and initiate sentences that fit the crime, we will not slow down domestic violence. Consider the three strikes and you are never out law. Why is it that a guy who is convicted for grand theft auto twice and another crime gets more time than someone who tries to kill his wife? Do we really want history to say the U.S. cared more about its cars than its wives?
Who does the law protect? (Not a trick question)
Criminal Domestic Violence is up across the country. In one South Carolina County alone, there are 140 violence cases reported to the sheriff’s department up from 120 the same period in 2008. Remember: only about one qurarter of CDV events are reported. Not only are the number of cases increasing, so is the severity of the violence. Instead of minor injuries, we’re seeing severe injuries and threats to life.
Does the punishment fit the crime? Most laws, especially for a first time CDV offense earn a resounding no. CDV is often merely a misdemeanor. In many jurisdictions, CDV does not rise to the level of a felony until multiple offenses have occurred. We treat child molesters tougher than wife beaters or child batterers. A father can literally beat his child and get a lesser sentence than if he molests the kid. Tell me again: why the distinction in penalties? Will the psychological and physical trauma be less in one case or the other?
In some areas, a batterer can literally punch a women in the face, try to strangle the intimate and be found guilty to the shock and awe impact of a fourth degree assault which carries a ponderous penalty of five days in jail. Michael Vick got more public pillorying for animal abuse than batterers get for slapping and punching their loved ones around. I’m not arguing that Vick didn’t deserve the Scarlet Letter for Animal Abuser – but where is the same badge of dishonor for people who destroy their families?
Chronic batterers – while public pressure has led to stiffer sentences for prolific and repeat offenders – i.e. auto thieves, drug dealers and chronic sex offenders – this has not translated to include repeat domestic violence offenders – abusers/batters. Why? Grand theft auto is perceived as a threat to everyone whereas for reasons that escape, the pervasive threat of domestic violence has yet to trump the perception it is a private matter, something that is between husband and wife. When society recognizes domestic violence as no less a scourge to domestic wellbeing and incites the public sensibility, then it will be treated as a felony, with the same disdain as, and warrant similarly severe penalties on a par with other violent crimes. It bears repeating….Being a wife should not justify or validate a behavior that when thrust upon a stranger, would be treated as a crime.
Again, until and unless we draw a zero tolerance symbol around every woman – and make punishments for a first time assault a “one and done,” not “three (or four or eight) strikes and you are out” – domestic violence will never be stopped.There also need to be sentence multipliers. Without these changes, the victim remains unprotected.
What do your state and local laws say about your community, how it values women, and punishes abusers? Is that a reflection of your values? If not, be the change that can save the life of your daughter or someone you love.
Barriers to escape
“Evil triumphs when good people do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
What can be more evil than to be abused – physically injury, rape, emotional torment, verbal berating and/or financial captivity – by someone who took an oath to love, honor and cherish the very person he is now harming? If you can name acts involving two people who publically professed mutual love, then you have me stumped.
Clearly with the rampant and ongoing problem of Domestic Violence, not enough is being done. Too many good people are doing nothing.
Being fair, it is dangerous to stand up to evil. But if you have a daughter, sister, mother or other female loved one, the life you save and the lives you help may very likely be someone you know and care about. Is that thought compelling enough to come off the sidelines?
There are many reasons why victims stay. A Stockholm syndrome-like effect is likely. Victims can fall into the alternate reality where they become accustomed to the damage. This may contribute to the phenomenon where a proportion of victims consider escape multiple times before actually doing it. Why? Fear, serious injuries, poor self-image, few prospects, concern over children or vulnerable loved ones, social or financial isolation, a complex array of laws, lack of resources or knowledge about the process, the profound social stigma and resulting lack of support within circle of friends or church family – sad to say. And if the victim lives in a rural location, resources may not be available. If she lives in an urban setting the resources may exist but be overburdened with wait lists. Money remains one of the leading vulnerabilities. Also, the lack of safe havens and the reality the abuser may find the victim compounds the problem. If the abuser is a cop, even some of the most well hidden safe houses can be tracked through means that are at the officer’s disposal. Often the victim has suffered in silence for years. Making an escape plan requires time, money, allies – all things that may be difficult if the abuser isolates the victim. Social stigma, ethnic and language barriers as well as possible religious concerns can exacerbate an already significant problem. Unfortunately, increasingly battered women face homelessness in many locations, if they try to escape.
CONCLUSION
The world remains a dangerous place for women – whether living in countries where they continue to be subjugated, face cultural norms allowing honor killings and abuse or reside in the United States where domestic violence is a multibillion dollar million-plus victim pandemic of pain and major public health care problem.
If the government wants to address health care reform, they might want to start with domestic violence. It is time we reinvigorate our health policy and focus upon disparities in women’s health – not the least of which is the right to live without worrying about injuries at the hands of a lover or husband.
No one should have a target painted on her back because she is a female. The value of a person should not be based upon physical strength alone. Yes, men are, inch for inch, 25 percent stronger than women, all things being equal. But being a good and valued man goes far beyond physical prowess – the value is in the humanity. As a society we do a poor job reinforcing the notion of “the gentleman” with our boys and even worse preparing our daughters for the dating world – that it is full of fun and risks. We are so caught up in making sure as girls we have a boyfriend or earn their “MRS” degree that we ignore the fundamentals – that no one should be abused, that no spouse has the right to inflict injury – mental or physical. No relationship is worth it. No church should condone it and no society should allow it. We do a poor job of instilling in men that it is NOT ok to hit your wife or children. Period. Instead of boycotting Fox, perhaps POTUS should encourage boycotting music that objectifies women or promotes violence against girls.
Until and unless we protect the victim and hold the abuser accountable, we will continue to have annual months of remembrance and awareness, accompanied by 12 months of victims too numerous to count. The U.S. must be a zero tolerance zone for CDV. Abusers must become social outcasts regardless of their current social standing.
Let me reiterate what I wrote on the anniversary of the 19th Amendment: we hired our politicians, i.e. elected officials to uphold the Constitution. It is time that women’s rights – the right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and protection from violence in the home – are embraced and enforced from the State House to Congress. Human trafficking, domestic violence, rampant child pornography are not victimless crimes – they are mostly crimes against women.
Ladies, we’re not far beyond Seneca Falls and the 19th Amendment, but we have the vote and a loud voice…it’s time to use them. And remember, this is not a battle of the sexes. It is a battle to be sure – one of good versus evil, one where victims’ rights must be valued over brutality’s privilege. Good men do not beat their wives, children or loved ones. No amount of scholarships endowed, wealth accumulated, degrees earned or pals at the local club and choruses of “he’s a jolly good fellow” balance against a moment of violence against the persons you are supposed to love. Some of our greatest allies are the men, the gentlemen in society who have and continue to stand by our side raging against evil, in this case the evil of domestic violence.
There are two pandemics in the world today. One can be addressed with vaccines and medications. The other is far deadlier and significantly more difficult to prevent or treat. But the complexity of the challenge can be simplified when we decide domestic violence can no longer be condoned, tacitly accepted as a private family matter or ignored. When the clock strikes midnight tonight, another three women will have been killed at the hands of a loved one. The clock is ticking.
Domestic violence is a daily threat to Americans. If family security matters, then the security of the family must matter.
Let’s get started towards making 2010 the year we banned hunting season on women and came together to address domestic violence and other crimes against women and children that persist in the United States. There can be no homeland security if there is no security in the home.
Author’s note: Thank you especially to the members of Day Break for their time and insights.
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Dr. Robin McFee is a physician and medical toxicologist. An expert in WMD preparedness, she is a consultant to government agencies, corporations and the media. Dr. McFee is a member of the Global Terrorism, Political Instability and International Crime Council of ASIS International. She has authored numerous articles on terrorism, health care and preparedness, and coauthored two books: Toxico-Terrorism by McGraw Hill and The Handbook of Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Agents, published by Informa/CRC Press.
References
Day Break – Domestic violence resources at the YWCA of Central Massachusetts. Hotline (can call collect) 1-508-755-9030
Illinois Department of Public Health, Women’s Health: Facts about Domestic Violence
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 1-800-537-2238
Peace At Home, Inc.: A human rights agency.
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence has a program Increasing economic opportunity for battered women as part of their Building Comprehensive Solutions to Domestic Violence program. www.nrcdv.org
Reader Comments: Submit Your Comment (2)
Well done.
Thank you for parts 1 and 2...I hope there is not a need for part 3 but we all know that the problem is here to stay until a lot of things change, which you articulated. And of course there's the folks who find the violence situation too hard to admit, and there are the deniers that say the problem is overstated. We know better! And any honest person knows better.
Keep up the good work.
The reference list is helpful, too.
I said before, "I'm sure you meant well." After reading both of these in full, now I'm not so sure. But I have faith, so I pray you will put the DV book idea on hold until you do a little more research.
There is an awful lot of personal prejudice in your writing. Some of your "facts" are not true, some are exaggerated, and some are not put into context.
Such as omitting that while 25% of women will experience what is classified as DV, so will 25% of men.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/396242/the_face_of_men_abused_by_women.html?cat=9
And the "leading cause of injury" claim...DV isn't even in the top ten.
http://www.examiner.com/x-15873-Family-Rights-Examiner~y2009m10d9-Feminist-DV-service-providers-fight-for-cash-and-control-not-equality
DV laws are so bad that even "bothering" is considered DV in California.
http://www.examiner.com/x-15873-Family-Rights-Examiner~y2009m8d14-Dirty-little-secrets-domestic-violence-reform-before-refund
50-70% of DV allegations are later found to be false or unnecessary. TROs are often used in custody cases to immediately win sole custody, and sometimes to eliminate the other parent for life.
http://www.examiner.com/x-15873-Family-Rights-Examiner~y2009m8d9-Abducted-childs-father-faces-prison-for-peaceful-protest
Tell the whole story Robin. Please.
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