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Violence knows no color, age, or race; and neither do our services.

Agency Services Shelter Transitional Housing Supportive Counseling Advocacy Community Programs Prevention Education Professional Training Protection from Abuse (PFA) Crime Victim Compensation

The Problem: Domestic Violence is abuse which occurs within a close personal or family relationship and which is used as a means of exercising power and control over another person.

Domestic Violence is Not confined to: Socioeconomic status Ethnicity Religion Race Age Gender

A Few Facts: Battering is the single major cause of injury to women – more frequent than auto accidents, muggings and rapes combined. Every 15 seconds a domestic violence incident is reported. 2,000 – 4,000 women are beaten to death annually. 4 out of 5 murders of women are committed at home.

A Few More Facts: Almost half of all injuries presented by women to the ER occur in the context of abuse. Close to 50% of batterers also abuse children. One third of female homicide victims are killed by their husbands or boyfriends.

2010 169 people died in 135 domestic violence incidents DV IN PA 2010 169 people died in 135 domestic violence incidents

Who Died- 2010 Victims: 78 Female 55 Male Youngest victim: 3 ½ week old baby Oldest victim: 87-year-old woman Perpetrators included a police officer and a college professor

How They Died 61 shot 24 stabbed Also: Beaten - Tortured Strangled - Drowned Burned Poisoned Suffocated

How They Died… Perpetrators used: Bare hands Baseball bat Claw hammer Hatchet Shovel

Power & Control Tactics Sexual coercion Financial/Economic Abuse Sexism Using Children Denying, Minimizing, and Blaming Isolation & Extreme Jealousy Intimidation & Threats Emotional/Verbal Abuse

Why She Stays Love Unknown Religion Money Fear Family Marriage Lack of Support System

Why we don’t ask? Fear of offending the patient Denial of prevalence in a certain population Fear of opening a Pandora’s box that will be too difficult for an already symptomatic patient to deal with Our own personal history

What NOT to Do Address the issue with partner present Assume you must convince her to leave Suggest marital counseling Give unsolicited advice Tell her to go to a shelter Be annoyed if the victim has not done something by her next appointment

What To Do Provide information Assess safety Create safety plan Make accurate diagnosis Document carefully Provide referrals

When documenting, you can use a body map.

Document: Where the bruises are Are they fresh or been there a number of days Write verbatim what the victim has said. This can be helpful later in a court process

Assess Immediate Needs Safety FIRST Is the victim’s partner here now or likely to return? Does she want you to call security or the police? Does she want to leave with her partner? Does she need to call someone to pick up her children? Does she need to be home by a certain time to avoid further abuse?

Remember to use RADAR to recognize and treat domestic violence R – Remember to ask A – Ask directly D – Document findings A – Assess safety R – Review options

Please call an Advocate from the Crisis Shelter 24 hours a day / 7 days a week 724-652-9036

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