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October 2007 News

Domestic Violence Awareness Month – Candlelight Vigil

The Battered Women’s Movement in the United States has made great progress over the last 3 decades. Domestic violence has been acknowledged and defined, recognized in law, and countered with programs ranging from counseling to shelters and hotlines, to law enforcement training and judicial reform. 66% of the American public believe that domestic violence is a serious problem affecting our communities. Yet, in California, last year, domestic violence related homicides rose by 40% according to the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence.

To give you some idea of the scope of the problem locally, House of Ruth served over 3,000 people on our 24-hour hotline last year, 393 of whom were from Pomona. Of those 3,000 hotline calls, 179 were referred to us by local law enforcement. 147 of the callers stated that a weapon had been involved in the abuse. And, over 1,500 of the callers stated that they had been punched by a fist. 30% of the callers had made a police report and in one half of those cases an arrest was made.

House of Ruth also provided emergency shelter to 108 families last year, 26 of whom were from Pomona. In addition, we served over 1,000 people in our Outreach programs, 495 of whom were from Pomona. Overall, we provided over 129,000 direct client services last year, including over 15,000 nights of shelter.

We have know for a long time that domestic violence can effect anyone, it occurs in families from all ethnic backgrounds, from all socio economic groups and from all faiths. No one is immune.

Earlier this month, the United Nations released a report officially classifying violence against women as a human rights violation. The report states that “Violence against women persists in every country in the world as a pervasive violation of human rights and a major impediment to achieving gender equality. As long as violence against women continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress towards equality, development and peace.”

The report goes on to say that many of the women interviewed mentioned that they had never talked with anybody else about the violence. The women interviewed came from 14 different countries and the rates of abuse parallel those that have been identified in the United States. The report also states that women are at more risk from their intimate partners than from strangers or men in the street. Four out of five women who report violence, report abuse by a partner rather than a stranger. While many of us fear that the streets are not safe, it may truly be that some of our homes are more dangerous.

Will this ever change? I believe so. More and more men, younger men in particular, have begun to take a look at the overall social and moral injustice of looking at and treating women this way. They are beginning to see that it is in the best interests of men to treat women with respect so they can be fully who they need to be. There is evidence that women may be leaving their relationships sooner, knowing that there is little they can do to change their partners behavior. But we must do more.

As individuals we need to make it known that violence against women is not acceptable. Women in abusive situations need support. How people respond to women in these situations is critical. By and large, women do not initially go to police or social services – they talk to friends and family. And if they do not get a response, it sets them back. So everybody can take responsibility for this. If you are ever faced with someone who needs support, you can play a major role.

And we must continue to do what we know works.

• We must continue to provide safe shelters for battered women and their children.
• We must provide safe and confidential services for those who seek our help.
• We must support the efforts of law enforcement and the district attorney’s office in prosecuting offenders.
• We must encourage our political, business and religious leaders, particularly male leaders to speak out and challenge those who accept and practice abuse in their homes.
• We must reach out to young women who are at the greatest risk of being assaulted.
• We must reach out to marginalized communities who may not yet know that help is available.
• We must enforce restraining orders, especially fire arms protections.
• We must hold family court judges accountable for making decisions that protect children rather than putting them at further risk of abuse.
• We must respond effectively when women first leave their abusers because we know that the first 12 months after she leaves are the most dangerous.
• We must pay attention and intervene with children and teens who bully others to get their way and,
• We must be available to help children learn how to solve problems non-violently.

One of my favorite quotes is by Anne Frank. She said, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world”.

Together, we can make a huge difference in the lives of others and in our communities.

Sue Aebischer
Executive Director