Many Women Seeking Domestic Violence Help Are Turned Away

Seeking help difficult for domestic violence victims

When a woman leaves an abusive partner, she often has nowhere to go. If a woman has little resources, then her options are nil as far as a hiding place. Shelters for those seeking refuge from violent domestic situations are available, but far too many are filled to capacity, which means they often have to turn away battered women and their children.

Domestic violence is a leading cause of concern for women, causing more injuries than muggings, stranger rapes and car accidents combined. Statistics have suggested that violence is perpetrated against women in almost half of all marriages. Domestic violence causes almost 100,000 days of hospitalization, 30,000 emergency room visits, and 40,000 trips to the doctor every year. And 50 percent of all homeless women and their children are fleeing domestic violence. In the United States, male partners beat almost 4 million women every year. U.S. Department of Justice statistics indicate that between 1,500 and 2,000 women are murdered annually by current or former partners.

The Violence Policy Center, a national nonprofit that conducts research on violence in the United States, stated in its 2008 annual report that there were 1,818 race-identified females murdered by males. And while white women accounted for the largest number of those killed, 1,208, African American women were killed at a rate nearly three times higher.

Unfortunately, many women who flee from the hands of their abuser to seek shelter or an immediate safe haven in order to gain some measure of control over their lives are being turned away from these places.

More than 44,000 adult victims were turned away from state-funded domestic violence shelters during the last six years because shelters were full. There have been numerous studies that show that safe housing is a major contributor to stabilizing victims of violence.

When victims are abused, they often think that that there is no solution to their predicament, so they stay in the situation. Take the brutal stabbing of lawyer Chiquita Tate about a year ago. The recently married defense attorney was a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom but was helpless at home while her husband, Greg Harris, abused her. The 34-year-old woman was found dead in her office, stabbed 38 times. Tate's husband was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and illegal use of a dangerous weapon. The couple had only been married for 14 months.

The recent death of Karneetha Sanders, 28, who was nine weeks pregnant at the time and allegedly killed by her 56-year-old married boyfriend Edward Aduayi (pictured below), shocked family and friends. Sanders was stabbed, her body dismembered and the remains were stuffed into a barrel that was kept at her boyfriend's beauty supply store in Randolph, Mass.

Seeking help difficult for domestic violence victims

Although many shelters might not accept a battered woman during her time of need, there are still some alternatives. The Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) advises victims to identify all of the possible people who might be willing and able to help them escape from abusive situations:

counselor, social worker, therapist
doctor, dentist, nurse
friend, family, neighbor
a spiritual leader or member of your faith community
employee assistance program (EAP), supervisor, union, co-worker
staff member at women's centers or senior centers
teacher, school counselor, parent teacher association member
department of social services caseworker

Don't wait for an emergency to ask for assistance. Talk with people beforehand and find out what they're willing to do for you. That way, you'll know in advance if you have a place to stay, where to go for help with money or a safe person who can keep copies of important papers for you.

Need help?

Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.

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