The month of October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the City of Douglas Police Department would like to bring public awareness and educate citizens about domestic violence.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) began from the “Day of Unity” held in October 1981 and was conceived by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In October 1987, the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was held, and that year also brought about the first domestic violence toll-free hotline.
Statistics, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, are that every nine seconds a woman is assaulted or beaten. Nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. This equals to more than 10 million women and men. Types of violence include rape, stalking, and homicide. One in 15 children are affected by intimate partner violence each year, and 90% of the children are eyewitnesses to this violence.
There is a tremendous impact on the economy involving domestic violence. Victims of intimate partner violence lose a total of 8 million days of paid work each year, which equals to a cost that exceeds $8.3 billion per year. Between 2003 and 2008, 142 women were murdered in their place of work by their abuser, 78% of women killed in the workplace during this timeframe.
“Domestic violence is not rare, it can happen to anyone at any given time,” says Police Chief Gary Casteloes. “The Douglas Police Department responded to 151 domestic violence related calls for service in 2014 and 111 for 2015 to date. If you are in danger, call 911 or, if you are in an abusive relationship, call the Douglas Police Department at (912) 384-2222, the Douglas Police Department TIPS Line at (912) 260-3600 or the Georgia Domestic Violence hotline at 1-800-334-2836.”
Some other safety tips for persons in an abusive relationship include using phones that are corded. Cordless and cell phones may be intercepted and are less private than analog phones. Contact a local domestic violence program, shelter, or rape crisis center to learn about free cell phone donation programs. Abusive people are often controlling and want to know their victims every move.
Today’s technology, such as computers, tablets, etc., can easily be monitored so take precaution when using technology. Computers store information on websites you have visited even if you delete your browsing history. Consider using a computer at a library, friend’s house, or school to avoid the abuser’s ability to download spyware onto a personal computer. Change passwords regularly to something that cannot be guessed easily.
Email, text messages, or instant messages are not confidential forms of communication, especially to talk about the abuse. It is important to remember that an abuser or abuser’s friend can see what you post on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking sites – consider posts very carefully. Most importantly, tell someone about the abuse – contact the Georgia hotline at 1-800-33-HAVEN (1-800-334-2836), National Teen Dating Violence Hotline at 1-866-331-9474, or the National Rape Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-4673.
The Douglas Police Department is currently working on plans to host a domestic violence awareness workshop for women sometime in October. The workshop will focus on the cycle of violence, identifying the signs of abuse, what to do if involved in an abusive relationship, how to seek help to get out of an abusive relationship, going through the legal process, victim assistance programs, and shelters. More information about the workshop will be release at a later date.
For more information about these tips and more safety methods, please visit the following websites: Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (www.gcadv.org), the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (www.ncadv.org), and National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (www.nrcdv.org).
– Submitted