Safety Planning for Victims of Domestic Violence

The Huffington Post recently had a really interesting and sobering report called This is Not a Love Story, where they explore the issue of domestic violence and provide startling statistics.

In their story, deaths that were attributed to intimate partners in the month of January 2016 across the nation were studied. In a short 31 day period, "112 people were killed in suspected intimate partner homicides, including children and bystanders." In those cases, 89% of the perpetrators were men, and 77% of the victims were women. The cause of death of those 112 victims was gunshot (64 victims), stabbing (29 victims), blunt force trauma (11 victims), and strangulation or other means (8 victims).

In the cases studied for this report, over 50% of the victims had already left their intimate partner or were in the process of leaving. So to the bystander or person who has never dealt with a domestic violence situation, it may be easy to ask why the victim doesn't leave the abuser. The answer is complicated, but it is very clear that once the victim does leave or makes plans to leave, their life is much more likely to be in danger.

​We must be supportive of the people in our lives who are victims of domestic violence, and do what we can to assist them in making a safe plan to get out. Most people do not have the experience necessary to successfully do this, so reaching out to experts is important. As anyone who works in family and domestic relations law can tell you, sometimes a protective order alone is not enough.

If you or someone you know are a victim of domestic violence and need assistance in making a safety plan to leave, reach out to the amazing resources available to you. In Adair, Adams, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Guthrie, Madison, Ringgold, Taylor and Union Counties, you can call Crisis Intervention and Advocacy's Crisis Line 24 hours a day at 1-800-400-4884. Nationwide, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).