Domestic violence awareness increasing

By Lindsay Blair
Once seen as a trivial issue, domestic violence is today a matter that is taken much more seriously, according to Lynda Ames, professor in sociology at Plattsburgh State.
Ames, who has worked within the Clinton County community in previous years, analyzing and evaluating the programs offered to victims of domestic violence, said that as a community, Clinton County has recognized that domestic and intimate crimes are matters which should be taken more seriously than in previous years.
“The efforts that have been done (to tackle domestic violence in the community) have not had the backing of the entire society,” said Ames,
“Many people trivialize it, saying “it is just a domestic, it is just a husband and wife thing” and so they don’t take it as seriously as they ought,” she said.
October was domestic violence awareness month and services within Plattsburgh honored this by hosting ceremonies and events. The events, sponsored by the Clinton County Task Force against Domestic Violence, were hosted by STOP Domestic Violence, an organization which supports victims of domestic violence in the North Country.
“There are services now that make it easier for her (the victim) to leave,” said Ames, “but I don’t think there has been a reduction in the incidents and the number of times that people beat up their intimate partners,” she said.
“In the past 20 years the police have been taking it much more seriously than in previous years. They have been making arrests more now,” Has it reduced the incidents, question Ames, “not really, but what it can do is help the victim, so if the victim has resources, she is better able to leave,” she said.
According to data released by the National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2000, one in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. Information from the Institute states that domestic violence can take many forms, other than the stereotyped image of physical violence. Aggression, control, domineering behavior, neglect, stalking and intimidation and deprivation are all forms of domestic crimes. The most likely forms of intimate crimes take happen at the hands of a male, but cases of females becoming the perpetrator are becoming more and more prominent amongst the reported cases.
In the United States, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics women are about six times as likely as men to experience intimate partner violence and estimates that only one third of cases are actually reported.
Also, according to the report, in all cases of intimate partner violence, women were more likely to be injured than men, but 25 percent of men in relationships with two-sided violence reported injury compared to 20 percent of women reporting injury in relationships with one-sided violence.
“A lot of people don’t want records kept because they are afraid of the consequences,” said Susan Kelly, program director at STOP.
“What we do is we help them to figure out what they want to do and we get take steps to helping them achieve that. We tell them how the services in the county work, we get paperwork ready, we can accompany them to court if necessary, we give them someone to talk to and we can also offer them transportation to a safe place in the area,” she said.
Kelly, who has worked with STOP for many years, said that the most dangerous phase for a victim of domestic violence is when they first decide to leave the relationship.
STOP offers bedsits and safe areas around the county whereby victims can seek support and a place to go. Links with the police and CVPH Medical Centre offer extensive support systems. STOP receives around 400 people per year, who require help and support.
“Dealing with domestic violence, the systems have changed, there are still holes (in the system). We can’t guarantee people that the program will work for them, but we try the best we can,” said Kelly.
“We have more clients now than ever. More people are reaching out, the word is out there so they know that it is possible to reach out.”
Professor Ames, said that society and social ideologies are a factor which can often create a social pressure to remain in relationships.
“There’s a great pressure from society to be coupled, we are a very couple orientated society,” said Ames, “If you leave a relationship you are alone and many people don’t wish to be alone.”
“Coupled though, doesn’t mean married,” added Ames, “Even people who are coupled but not living together can experience domestic violence in their relationship. There can be a violent relationship or violence in a relationship,” she said.
As a community Plattsburgh offers support to victims of domestic violence who reach out and are ready to seek help. Often people just need someone to talk to, according to Susan Kelly at STOP. Domestic violence awareness events raise the issue within the community and offer victims a chance to become aware of the services available to them. Overall the issue is becoming less of a taboo topic, said Ames.
“Some people just don’t understand their needs yet,” said Kelly, “It is hard to know which areas are worse than others, but rural areas are harder (to address the issue) because there are less services, but in smaller communities we are better at taking care of each other.”