Published: November 01, 2009 11:54 pm      

Economy may keep victims in violent relationships

Editor’s note: This is the second story of two parts exploring whether a lagging economy contributes to an increase in domestic violence.



While local police and advocates say the poor economy is not the root cause of domestic violence, it could cause more victims to stay in violent relationships.

Women’s Resource Center Executive Director Patricia Bailey said economic conditions are the No. 1 reason victims do not leave abusive relationships.

“What do you do when you have no means of supporting yourself? Where do you go?” she asked. “These are people the victims rely on to keep a roof over their heads and provide for their children.

“... Where do you work? You could work at McDonald’s, but you may only get so many hours, and you may have no credit. You can’t pay for rent, transportation and medicine on what you’d make at McDonald’s.

“... You can’t blame the victims, who are concerned for their safety and security. You can’t blame them, period.”

Raleigh County Sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Jim Bare said domestic violence often tends to break down victims’ self-esteem so badly that they believe they can do nothing else but stay with their abusers.

But Beckley Police Chief Tim Deems says victims need to leave abusive relationships as soon as possible because the severity of the abuse tends to increase over time.

“Taking steps early is key,” he said. “I would like to let people know that there are organizations that will help them get out of abusive relationships. Sometimes, it takes them reaching out.

“The most volatile time in an abusive relationship is when the victim decides to leave. When it comes to safety, the victims need all the help they can get.”

Deems said the police department also takes these situations very seriously, referring victims to organizations that will help them and even providing transportation to the shelter. Beckley officer Cpl. Jon Brown is devoted to following up on domestic-related cases and working with the Women’s Resource Center.

Bare said domestic violence victims do not have to stay in abusive situations, and there are organizations ready to help them. But they must be willing to leave.

“Being a domestic violence victim is a sad situation, any way you look at it,” he said. “Anyone in those situations — it’s up to them. They have to want out and stick to it.”

Bailey said no victim seeking refuge at the shelter will be turned away, even if the shelter’s residents increase. WRC personnel can ask residents if they will share rooms, and there are “sister shelters” that can also take victims from the WRC’s region.

Bailey said another core WRC service is teaching victims how to live on their own and support themselves. It offers computer classes every Thursday at 6 p.m. GED classes are offered to people without high school educations, Bailey said. The WRC also works to help victims find jobs and/or enroll in higher education and vocational programs.

“Life skills” education is another service offered and an integral part of that is financial management, she said. The aggressor in domestic violence situations will often control all finances.

“Some haven’t even balanced a checkbook,” Bailey said. “Some don’t have a clue as to how much money they have. They need to know how money works, how to put together a budget and how to handle credit cards — and knowing about the finance charges.

“If you don’t know that and you try to embark out on your own, you’re not going to make it.”

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Police have other concerns when domestic-related calls increase, including officer safety, according to Deems.

The chief said the volatile and unpredictable nature of these calls makes them one of the most dangerous incidents for officers. When any officer receives a domestic call, Beckley PD always tries to have at least one other as backup.

Deems pointed to the October line-of-duty murder of Winston-Salem, N.C., Police Sgt. Mickey Hutchens. According to information from the Officer Down Memorial Page, Hutchens was backing up another officer at a domestic disturbance call Oct. 7. The male suspect opened fire and struck both officers.

The other officer was able to return fire, and he killed the suspect. Hutchens died five days later. He was a 27-year officer at Winston-Salem PD and the married father of two daughters.

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While any increase in domestic violence reports is negative, there can be a positive side. Increased public education, Bare said, could have more people in violent homes calling police for help rather than continually suffering. High-profile stories involving domestic violence, like the O.J. Simpson and Chris Brown/Rihanna cases, also bring the issue to the forefront and tend to increase awareness.

“Domestic violence, for years, was swept under rugs and kept behind closed doors,” he said. “But most of the public knows the domestic laws, and that has probably increased reports.”

During an Oct. 22 candlelight vigil, Bailey said 17 people were killed in domestic violence-related homicides in West Virginia during the past year. Those killed between October 2008 and September 2009 were 13 women, three men and one 5-month-old fetus.

— E-mail: apridemore@register-herald.com