It can be a verbal
”
slap
”
to the face, the repeated insulting and degradation of a
domestic partner, or it can take physical dimensions, with smacks,
pushes, kicks, cuts, even escalating to murder, but all domestic
violence is about power and control, according to advocates.
Morgan Hill – It can be a verbal “slap” to the face, the repeated insulting and degradation of a domestic partner, or it can take physical dimensions, with smacks, pushes, kicks, cuts, even escalating to murder, but all domestic violence is about power and control, according to advocates.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the South County social services organization Community Solutions is planning to mark the occasion with an event to increase public awareness of this often-hidden crime.
To bring home to the public the domestic violence experience, the center is putting on a play at 6pm, Oct. 26 at the Gavilan College Theatre, 5055 Santa Teresa Blvd., in Gilroy.
“We typically mark domestic violence awareness month by holding a resource fair, a women’s empowerment day, but we have been talking about doing a play for several years,” said Perla Flores, director of the domestic violence program for Morgan Hill-based social service organization Community Solutions, which offers emergency shelter and supportive services to survivors and their children living in southern Santa Clara and San Benito counties.
“We really recognize that theater and drama have a significant impact on people. This is a creative and innovative way to get out the information. The community can see what a victim goes through, this makes it really personal.”
The play will portray a small part of what a victim typically endures from a batterer on a day-to-day basis, she said.
“We have tried not to water it down that much, and we have to caution people that there’s strong content, probably not suitable for anyone under age 13,” she said.
One half of the play will be performed in Spanish, the other half in English, she said, but in each segment, it is obvious what is happening so audience members will be able to follow the action even if they don’t understand the language.
“Historias de Mi Madre,” which translated means “My Mother’s Histories,” explores domestic violence over the course of three generations and evolving cultural contexts. The event is free and open to the public.
“Prevention and education are key components in the fight to eradicate domestic violence from our communities,” said Flores. “Intimate partner abuse is a challenging subject matter requiring innovative and culturally relevant community outreach techniques. We are optimistic that ‘Historias de Mi Madre’ will raise awareness about this important social issue.”
In Morgan Hill, there were 46 felony domestic violence cases in fiscal year 2005-06, and 65 in fiscal year 2006-07, Morgan Hill police Cmdr. David Swing said.
A felony incident can involve serious injury, he said, or a traumatic condition,
but an injury may not be immediately visible. For example, if someone is kicked in the stomach, there may be only red marks visible, but internally, there may be more damage. A kick is a violent act, so that incident would be considered a felony, Swing added.
Overall, aggregate domestic violence reports have gone down since last year, he said, but he also said officers are aware that there are incidents that are not reported, either to law enforcement or social service agencies.
Two years ago, Morgan Hill and Gilroy led Santa Clara County in number of reported domestic violence incidents.
Each year Community Solutions typically serves between 450 and 500 victims through its crisis line or as a walk-in. Each year, there are approximately 77 women and 80 children housed in the organization’s shelter. Legal assistance is provided to more than 100 women per year, and that includes restraining orders and court support. Community Solutions counselors typically work with at least 50 women and 20 children per year, and prevention and education activities touch more than 500 people each year.
“It is our goal in any type of domestic violence situation to intervene and resolve the dispute if possible and document what happened,” said Swing. “There are three different government areas that deal with domestic violence, there’s state law, county protocol and department policy, that’s how serious an issue it is to the community at large, not only Morgan Hill but at the county and state levels.”
Officers are trained to provide assistance to the victim as quickly as possible. If a wife reports that her husband has abused her the day before, for example, officers would treat the situation in the same way as if they were called the night of the incident. They would conduct an investigation, take pictures of the injuries, take statements and help the victim get an emergency protective restraining order, even calling the judge and requesting one on behalf of the victim, Swing said. Officers would attempt to contact the batterer and make an arrest.
“The reason we do all of this is two-fold, first, because it’s the right thing to do, and second, because it is a crime of power control, not a crime of anger management,” he said. “We understand the victim in many cases may not feel comfortable, may not wish to press charges.”
The state allows officers to make an arrest without the victim pressing charges because the victim may not be able to speak up for her own safety, he added.
When there is a domestic violence case, officers also immediately reach out to provide another source of support for the victim.
“We have a great working relationship with Community Solutions, and we’re able to contact an advocate at anytime, day or night, to respond to assist the victim,” he said.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence has compiled statistics for each state concerning incidents of domestic violence. According to the California Women’s Health Survey, only 11.7 percent of non-white domestic violence victims sought help from service programs compared to 20.4 percent of whites.
Every year nearly 6 percent of California women suffer physical injuries from domestic violence. In 2004, 169 murders were the result of intimate partner violence. In 2004, 138 women were killed by their husbands, ex-husbands, boyfriends or ex-boyfriends, and 26 men were killed by their wives, ex-wives, girlfriends or ex-girlfriends.
California law enforcement received 186,439 domestic violence calls in 2004.
In Morgan Hill, domestic violence remains a high priority for police.
COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS DV PREVENTION SERVICES
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Yearly, the agency serves between 450 and 500 victims through its crisis line or as a walk-in.
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Approximately 77 women and 80 children are housed in the organization’s shelter each year.
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Legal assistance is provided to more than 100 women per year, including restraining orders and court support.
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At least 50 women and 20 children per year receive counseling.
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Prevention and education activities touch more than 500 people each year.
