Kansas Family and Divorce

State Domestic Violence Coalitions

Once again, Ben has provided a great post with wonderful information contained within.

The following is a list of organizations, throughout the United States, that work on a range of domestic violence related issues. These organizations can be a valuable resource for victims of domestic violence and for attorneys or advocates working with them in either the civil or criminal context.

Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence - 334/832-4842

Alaska Network on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault - 907/586-3650

Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence - 602/279-2900

Arkansas Coalition Against Violence to Women & Children - 501/812-0571

California Alliance Against Domestic Violence - 916/444-7163 or 800/524/4765

Statewide California Coalition for Battered Women - 562/981-1202 or 888/722-2952

Myths and Facts About Domestic Violence (Part Three)

Here is the third part in Ben's great series of Myths and Facts about Domestic Violence from the South Carolina Family Law Blog.

Myth: Law enforcement and judicial responses, such as arresting batterers or issuing civil protection orders, are useless.

Fact: There is a great deal of debate about the efficacy of particular actions by law enforcement or the judiciary. Research on the usefulness of mandatory arrest or civil protection orders has yielded conflicting results. Most experts agree, however, that actions by one piece of the system are only effective when the rest of the criminal justice and civil systems are functioning, and that improved protocols can decrease domestic violence related homicides. Thus, law enforcement officers must make arrests, prosecutors must prosecute domestic violence cases, and courts must enforce orders and impose sanctions for criminal convictions. It is important for batterers to receive the message from the community that domestic violence will not be tolerated, and that the criminal justice and law enforcement systems will be involved until the violence ceases.

Myth: Children are not affected when one parent abuses the other.

Fact: Studies show that in 50-70% of cases in which a parent abuses another parent, the children are also physically abused. Children also suffer emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and developmental impairments as a result of witnessing domestic violence in the home. In addition, some children (especially boys) who experience domestic violence in their homes grow up to repeat the same behavioral patterns.

For example, an advocate at a shelter in North Florida reported that one abuser threatened to come to the shelter and kill the victim and anyone who stood in his way. The abuser revealed that he knew where the shelter was because he stayed there as a child when his mother ran away from his father.

Myth: Domestic violence is irrelevant to parental fitness.

Fact:: Because children often suffer physical and emotional harm from living in violent homes, domestic violence is extremely relevant to parental fitness. A history of domestic violence can indicate that the perpetrating parent physically or emotionally abuses the child as well as the other parent. In addition, abusers frequently use the children as pawns to continue to control the other parent. Further, an abuser's focus on controlling the victim undermines the abuser's ability to parent because the primary concern is not the child. Courts should consider the effects of the abuser's behavior on the children when determining custody and visitation arrangements.

Some courts mistakenly penalize the victim in custody cases by assuming that the victim is emotionally unstable because of the violence or because the victim 'let the violence happen.' In most states, however, custody statutes now recognize that domestic violence is relevant to the abuser's parental fitness. Courts in most states are required to consider domestic violence as a factor in custody determinations or employ a presumption that perpetrators should not receive custody of the children.

Source: American Bar Association's Commission on Domestic Violence

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Myths and Facts About Domestic Violence (Part Two)

Here is Ben's Second post in the series.

Myth: Victims of domestic violence never leave their abusers, or if they do, they just get involved in other abusive relationships.

Fact: Most victims of domestic violence leave their abusers, often several times. It may take a number of attempts to permanently separate because abusers use violence, financial control, or threats about the children, to compel victims to return. Additionally, a lack of support from friends, family members, or professionals, such as court personnel, law enforcement officers, counselors, or clergy members, may cause victims to return. Since the risk of further violence often increases after victims separate from their abusers, it can be even harder for victims to leave if they cannot obtain effective legal relief. Victims who receive appropriate legal assistance at an early stage increase their chances of obtaining the protection and financial security they need to leave their abusers permanently. While some victims may become involved with other partners who later begin to abuse them, there is no evidence that the majority of victims have this experience.

Myth: Batterers abuse their partners or spouses because of alcohol or drug abuse.

Fact: Alcohol or substance abuse does not cause perpetrators of domestic violence to abuse their partners, though it is frequently used as an excuse. Substance abuse may increase the frequency or severity of violent episodes in some cases. Because substance abuse does not cause domestic violence, requiring batterers to attend only substance abuse treatment programs will not effectively end the violence. Such programs may be useful in conjunction with other programs, such as batterer intervention programs.

Myth: Perpetrators of domestic violence abuse their partners or spouses because they are under a lot of stress or unemployed.

Fact: Stress or unemployment does not cause batterers to abuse their partners. Since domestic violence cuts across socioeconomic lines, domestic abuse cannot be attributed to unemployment or poverty. Similarly, advocates note that if stress caused domestic violence, batterers would assault their bosses or co-workers rather than their intimate partners. Domestic violence flourishes because society condones spouse or partner abuse, and because perpetrators learn that they can achieve what they want through the use of force, without facing serious consequences.

Source: American Bar Association's Commission on Domestic Violence