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By: Deni O'Brien  Domestic violence itself is a threat to the safety of a victim, but some aggravating circumstances increase their risk of being greatly harmed or murdered. It's important to recognize these warning signs and educate victims on the threat this poses to them and the importance of fleeing. A couple of main indicators of a high lethality risk in abusive relationships are strangulation incidents and weapons in the home.
When a victim of domestic violence calls our crisis line for help, there are typically several things they are trying to solve at once. Often, they call about resources for shelter, long-term housing, employment, childcare, financial support, or filing for a protection order. Because a victim's health is often the last thing on their mind when fleeing and trying to tackle so many other things, we, as Victim Advocates, must take the time to address this with victims and inquire about any health needs. When discussing the different types of abuse a victim has experienced, we listen carefully for any disclosure of strangulation or head injuries. Any history of strangulation puts a victim at higher risk of homicide at the hands of their abuser. Of women who experience intimate partner violence, 68% will experience near-fatal strangulation (Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention). The chance of homicide increases by 750% for victims who have experienced strangulation, compared to victims who have never been strangled (Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention). Strangulation means the obstruction of airflow and blood vessels in the neck, meaning loss of consciousness can happen within seconds, and death can occur in minutes. When a victim survives an incident of strangulation, they may experience damage to their throat tissue, memory loss, vision issues, psychosis, brain damage, and even death weeks after the incident due to respiratory complications or blood clots. Typically, victims and their loved ones are unaware of just how seriously strangulation should be taken and that their lives are at risk. Assessing if a victim has experienced strangulation from their abuser and educating them on the impacts can be a matter of life or death. A second thing Victim Advocates are on high alert for is if there are any weapons in the home. As Victim Advocates, we are not just asking if the abuser has threatened the victim with weapons. We want to know if the abuser even owns or has access to firearms. The presence of a gun in domestic violence situations increases the risk of homicide for women by 500%. More than half of women killed by gun violence are killed by family members or intimate partners (National Domestic Violence Hotline). Even after a victim has successfully fled abuse, people willing to commit homicide against their victims often will not be stopped by a protection order. Once we hear any mention of a weapon, safety planning is of utmost importance to protecting the lives of victims and their loved ones. A victim is not able to address something they are unaware of. The more knowledge they have, the better they can understand what this means for their health and safety. If you or somebody you know is experiencing domestic violence, we highly encourage you to reach out to our crisis line and connect with a Victim Advocate. We are here to educate victims, assist with their needs, and change the course of their lives. We want to see every victim we encounter become safe, healthy, and self-sufficient. By: Cheyenne Loper  If you have ever taken a psychology or sociology class, you may be familiar with the term “ACES.” Even if you are unaware of its meaning, it is something that can affect you or those you love. ACE stands for “Adverse Childhood Experience.” This is a concept that was a result of a study conducted in 1995-1997 by Kaiser Permanente. The study found that traumatic or adverse childhood experiences can result in health complications later in life, such as engaging in risky behavior, heart disease, or even early death. They are more likely to start smoking, drinking, or socializing with unhealthy people. Due to the seriousness of the effects of traumatic childhood experiences, a questionnaire was created to determine a child or adult’s ACE score. The score would indicate a person’s risk for future health complications. The questionnaire screens for things like abuse in the home, household challenges, or neglect before eighteen years of age. If you are a parent experiencing domestic violence, the impacts on your children may be long-lasting. The current impacts they may already be experiencing are PTSD, difficulty in school, or being more mature than other children their age (often by 7-10 years). In the future, they are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, commit violent crimes, or become a victim of domestic violence in their future relationships.
Domestic violence affects everyone in the household. A victim may want to believe that despite everything, their partner is a good parent. The evidence shows us otherwise. A child who sees a parent abused will experience adverse effects. If you or someone you know is being abused, please reach out to us today. Our advocates can assist with keeping victims and their children safe by creating safety plans, filing protection orders, or providing resources to help them become self-sufficient. If you or someone you know experienced abuse or neglect as a child and are still trying to heal, we can offer help connecting to counseling, support groups, or other mental health resources. To speak with a trained Victim Advocate, call our confidential crisis line at (317) 731-6140. In the case of an emergency, call 9-1-1. Reference: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/about.html |
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