WUNRN
WATCH - WATCH’s mission is to make
the justice system more effective and responsive in handling cases of violence
against women and children, and to create a more informed and involved public.
WHY DO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS
STAY IN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS? CASE EXAMPLE - USA - STATE OF MINNESOTA
By Marna
Anderson - WATCH Executive Director
Direct Link
to WATCH Newsletter with Article: http://www.watchmn.org/sites/default/files/Autumn-Newsletter-2011.pdf -
Scroll down to article on page 2.
In the State of Minnesota,
services for victims of domestic violence were deemed “essential” by Special
Investigator Kathleen Blatz during the state’s government shutdown, and all
violent crimes were ranked high priority during the 2011 legislative session
when the legislature considered significant funding cuts to court services.
That the political will in Minnesota exists to ensure that our criminal justice
system is addressing cases of domestic violence is good news. However, that
does not change the fact that many battered women cannot seek their own safety
due to financial constraints. When we don’t respond to the social and economic
constraints women face, we put them in an impossible situation and make it
difficult to take advantage of the legal gains we have fought so hard to
achieve.
And, the consequences are not
only the obvious, immediate ones. Long-term consequences exist as well,
particularly when children are in the picture. Research shows that children who
witness domestic violence are more likely than their peers to suffer
depression, chemical dependency, and anxiety, and boys who witness domestic
violence are at greater risk of becoming abusers. Again, failing to attend to
the social and economic needs of families means that the struggle to end
domestic violence will always be that—a struggle.
So, the next time you hear
someone say he or she doesn’t understand why women stay in abusive
relationships, tell them the stories of the women (representing hundreds more)
who traded their own safety for baby food and gas money. And then let’s work
together so families can be safe in their homes and have food on their tables.
__________
1 National Coalition Against Domestic
Violence Fact Sheet