PRESENTED TO BLACK SWAMP SAFETY COUNCIL

BY SARAH’S HOUSE OFWILLIAMS COUNTY

MARCH 16, 2010

Overview of Domestic Violence

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REFERS TO A PATTERN OF VIOLENT AND / OR COERCIVE BEHAVIOR EXERCISED BY ONE ADULT OVER ANOTHER IN AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP.

Definition of Domestic Violence

Myths

Batterers use violence because they get so angry that they are out of control.

Drugs and alcohol use cause the violence.

Stress and unemployment cause the violence.

The victim can always leave .

ABUSE IS PATTERN OF HURTFUL BEHAVIOR THAT ONE PARTNER IN AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP USES

TO CONTROL THE OTHER.

Definition of Abuse

Physical Abuse

Throwing household items

Grabbing, pushing, shoving, shaking

Bruising

Deprivation (food, sleep, medical needs)

Verbal Abuse

Jokes, insults

Name calling

Threats against the marriage

Threats against or to take the children

Emotional Abuse

Put downs of your roles or abilities

Private humiliation

Questions your sense of reality

Withholding approval as punishment

Financial / Economic Abuse

Controls major decisions

Controls money / finances

Makes you economically dependent

Denies your ability to work / gets you fired

Social Abuse

Tracks you or monitors your activities and / or whereabouts

Eliminates support system

Threatens to hurt your extended family / friends

Sexual Abuse

Ignoring sexual needs

Jealousy, assumes you will be with others sexually

Demanding sex with threats

Unwanted / forced touching

THERE IS NO ONE TYPE OF PERSON WHO IS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HAPPENS TO PEOPLE FROM ALL DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.

CHILDREN ARE IMPACTED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, EITHER BY WITNESSING THE ABUSE OR BY BEING

ABUSED THEMSELVES.

Who are the Victims?

THERE IS NO TYPICAL ABUSER.ABUSERS COME FROM MANY DIFFERENT

BACKGROUNDS AND HAVE DIFFERENT LIFE EXPERIENCES, BUT THE TACTICS

THEY USE ARE VERY SIMILAR.

Who are the Abusers?

Tactics Used By Batterers

Quick Involvement

Isolation

Blames others for problems and feelings

Unrealistic expectations

Barriers to Leaving an Abusive Relationship

Impact on ChildrenA child’s exposure to the father abusing the mother is

the strongest risk factor for transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next.

In a national study of more than 6,000 American families, 50% of the men who frequently assaulted their wives also frequently abused their children.

Children exposed to partner violence condoned it to resolve conflicts more readily than did control groups.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN AT HOME. DOMESTIC

VIOLENCE IMPACTS THE LIVES OF MILLIONS OF WORKING WOMEN AND

MEN EVERY DAY

Domestic Violence in the Workplace

Incidence of Domestic Violence

1 in 3 women report being abused by their husbands or boyfriends at some time in their lives

46%of the U.S. workforce is comprised of women

Every day in the United States, more than three women are killed by their husbands or boyfriends.

Homicide was the second leading cause of death on the job for women in 2003, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Financial Costs Due to Violence in the Workplace

Loss of nearly 8.0 million days of paid work per year (equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs)

Loss of productivity – estimated at $64.4 billion per year

$5.6 billion in medical care

Impact of Stalking in the Workplace

Approximately 130,000 victims reported that they were fired of asked to leave their job because of stalking.

One in eight employed stalking victims lost time from work because of fear for their safety or because they needed to get a restraining order or testify in court.

Warning Signs that an Employee may be a Victim

Unexplained injuries or injuries that do not correlate with the explanation given

Dress that is inappropriate

Uncharacteristic absenteeism or tardiness

Disruptive personal visits to the workplace by present or former partner

How Employers Can Help

Develop a Domestic Violence Workplace Policy

Provide informational pamphlets in private places

Recognize the difficulties that prevent victims from leaving a relationship.

Recognize that the most dangerous time for a victim is when they attempt to leave an abusive situation.

Ending Abuse

THE FIRST AND MOST DIFFICULT STEP IS

“BREAKING THE SILENCE”

YOU MAY BE THE FIRST PERSON TO “HEAR THE

SILENCE BROKEN”