Community Prevention

Abuse of Any One Harms Everyone

The DELTA Project Community Prevention Committee meets monthly to plan and implement our community wide prevention plan to prevent domestic violence in the Holland and Zeeland area. This is a subcommittee of Lakeshore Alliance Against Domestic and Sexual Violence focusing on prevention. To join this active group of concerned community leaders, contact Lesley Coghill at Center for Women in Transition at (616) 494-1741 or send email to lesleyc@aplaceforwomen.org.

Local Prevention Plan (New Prevention Plan Coming Soon!)
Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Plan
Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Plan Brochure

Abuse of Any One Harms Everyone: Taking a Stand

By Nicholas Stone (November 2009)

When we think about domestic violence we commonly think that it is a women’s issue. However, that is not the case. Domestic violence knows no boundaries and harms women, men, and children. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, as of 2007, 85% of domestic violence victims were women, 15% of domestic violence victims were men, and 30-60% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abused their children. As a community we should recognize this violence and take a stand against it. How can we begin to take this stand? Through developing our bystander skills and helping prevent violence at home, at our schools, and through our places of employment and worship; we will be making an impact on the incidence of violence.

Being an active bystander is important to decreasing violence in our communities. An active bystander is someone who interrupts degrading or sexist jokes, models healthy relationship behavior, is a positive role model for our youth, and shows respect in theirs own relationships. However, while these actions seem simplistic, community members may be afraid to intervene because of fear, nervousness, or they feel that it is not their problem. These feeling of fear and nervousness are normal in dangerous situations like domestic violence. However, you do not need to face them alone. It is recommended to approach these situations in groups. Seek help from friends and family or call 911. Center of Women in Transition provides “Strategies for Becoming an Active Bystander” that includes suggestions on how to intervene and help prevent violence. Their suggestions are to consider if the situation deserves action, be open to victims looking for help, speak up if someone is putting down women, distract the perpetrator in a dangerous situation, and never be afraid to call for help.

Our efforts should reach out past our community. According to the Family Violence Prevention Fund, 66% of senior corporate executives believe their company’s financial performance would benefit from addressing the issue of domestic violence among their employees. Violence at home has adverse consequences in the work place. Studies completed on survivors of abuse have found 50-85% of these survivors have missed work and 60% of abused women have been late to work due to violence. Other than attendance problems, companies take a financial hit as well. Of the 5.8 billion dollars that was spent due to domestic violence in 2007, 4.1 billion dollars came from employers to pay for direct medical and mental health care services. The violence can be seen in workplace; as more than 29,000 acts of rape or sexual assaults are perpetrated against women at work each year.

To decrease the effects of domestic violence at home and work we must take a stand as employers and employees. As employees our bystander skills will aid us in preventing the incidence of violence in the workplace. We can begin by offering help to our coworkers who may be facing violence. This can take form in acknowledging that you notice, offering to listen, provide them the proper resources. We can intervene with an abuser by expressing your concern, giving no excuses for their violence, and provide them resources to get help. Once we make a stand we have to keep ourselves and others accountable; in the hope of keeping violence from happening. Companies and employers can enact policies that can promote proper behaviors and decrease violence. Examples of such policies can take place in sponsoring a domestic violence awareness day, week, month, or having materials that condemn domestic violence, and improving security measures.

Churches and communities of faith have an opportunity to provide support, resources, and education on domestic violence. It is important to help provide support for victims and promote healthy, respectful relationships. Church leaders can encourage open communication by talking about domestic and sexual violence within the church and creating an environment where victims can feel safe. Leaders can aid in educating the church about violence through sermons to encourage intolerance and a standard of respect. Education can also be achieved by bringing in an outside source to educate about domestic and sexual violence. Faith leaders can also infuse primary prevention into their ministry by being a positive role model and prompting the church to do the same. These factors will help support the actions of our workplaces and communities so we can provide places where women, men, and children can be safe and without worry of abuse harming anyone.