Raising awareness to ‘No More’ domestic violence
WAYNESBURG – If someone were to ask you what the leading cause of injury to women is, what would you answer? Car accidents? Muggings? Rape? The correct answer is domestic violence, which has a greater incidence than the other three combined.
Every year since October 1987, Domestic Violence Awareness Month has tried to raise public awareness of domestic violence, defined as the use of physical abuse or threat of physical abuse, emotional/psychological abuse, sexual abuse, stalking, threats against others, and/or economic abuse.
In Greene County, victims of domestic violence can visit the drop-in center, located at 43 N. Morgan Street in Waynesburg to talk about domestic violence issues and get assistance with safety planning, empowerment counseling and protection from abuse (PFAs) orders issued by the courts.
The center is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Weekend services are also available by phoning the Domestic Violence Hot Line at 724-852-2463 or 800-791-4000.
If emergency shelter is required by Greene County residents, the Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania (DVSSP) operates two shelters – one in Washington and another in Uniontown. The Greene County drop-in center provides transport to the shelters if needed.
“Generally, the stay at a shelter doesn’t exceed 30 days, during which time the victim is given referrals for counseling, housing, job training and welfare,” said Cheryl McCready, satellite office coordinator for DVSSP. “Hopefully at the end of the 30-day period, they’ll be able to move on to alternative housing.”
In the fiscal year that ran from July 2013 through June 2014, McCready reports that her office assisted a total of 355 new service recipients that included victims, significant others and children. The office also took 360 hotline calls and helped victims file 89 PFA (protection from abuse) orders.
“We get about 20 new victims of abuse each month and over 100 PFA orders each calendar year,” McCready said. “When someone phones in, we immediately assess the situation and talk about what they want to do. The key to service is that we never tell them what they should do but only give them the options so they can make their own decisions.”
The DVSSP believes that, if communities and individuals truly want to fight this epidemic problem affecting 15.5 million U.S. children living in families in which partner violence occurred at least once in the past year (futureswithoutviolence.org), they must take action.
On Oct. 2, the Greene County Commissioners proclaimed October Domestic Violence Awareness Month. According to information provided by DVSSP, the Greene, Fayette and Washington offices last year responded to 1,391 domestic violence-related hotline calls; provided services to 1,775 new victims, children and significant others; gave 664 victims and their children 11,310 nights of shelter and offered 14,587 hours of counseling to all victims, children and significant others.
“This is a problem that has been going on for a very long time, and it’s not going away,” said Natalie Schwoerer, counselor/advocate for DVSSP. “Domestic violence is a very serious issue.”
As part of the awareness campaign, Schwoerer announced that the previous symbol of domestic violence awareness, a purple ribbon, is being retired, and presented the commissioners with the new “No More” symbol, a blue vanishing point.
“There were several other campaigns that used the purple ribbon to promote awareness,” McCready said. “These included the Relay for Life and the Diabetes campaign. We wanted to have a unique symbol special to Domestic Violence Awareness so that anyone who saw it would easily recognize it as ours.”
At the Oct. 2 meeting, Schwoerer also asked the commissioners to write on pieces of paper the reasons why they say “no more.” Commissioner Chuck Morris wrote “my wife and daughter,” Commissioner Archie Trader wrote “I love my wife and family” and Commissioner Blair Zimmerman wrote “Life is too short to live in fear.”
The blue vanishing point symbol is being distributed on pins and car magnets and have already been displayed on vehicles operated by the Waynesburg Police Department and the County Sheriff.
During the month of October, displays calling attention to domestic violence have been set up at First Federal Savings and Loan, Penn State Cooperative Extension, the In-Motion Dance Studio and many churches. Different organizations are also distributing pins and magnets with the blue vanishing point logo, and those who enter Waynesburg along High Street from the east should notice the big billboard publicizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The Greene County drop-in center has been operating in the county for at least 15 years and has a staff of one full-time and one part-time employee. The office is funded through the Coalition Against Domestic Violence and by private and individual donors.
“Here at the drop-in center, we have a great need for volunteers,” McCready said. For more information on volunteering, call 724-852-2373.
Statistics show that between 73 and 75 percent of all victims of domestic violence are women, and McCready said she knows how difficult it often is for women to come forward to say that someone they love is abusing them. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in four women will be victims of domestic violence at some point in their lives.
Domestic violence is indiscriminate and negatively impacts the communities in which we live. Regardless of socio-economic status, educational level, race, ethnicity or religious beliefs, the tentacles of domestic violence reach deep within communities.
The Education and Training Department of DVSSP believes that education is the key to prevention. Therefore, tailored to a person’s available time and need, it offers free presentations to all adult and youth community organizations. In an age and venue appropriate context, these informative presentations bring the issue of violence in relationships to the forefront.
“All of our services are free and confidential,” McCready said. “We want people to know that help for domestic violence issues is available and that it’s not O.K. to hurt someone in a relationship.”
For more information about DVSSP and the services it provides, call 724-852-2463 or go online at www.peacefromdv.org.