Domestic violencen

Changing perceptions help agency break the domestic violence cycle.

By LESLIE DINABERG
South Coast Beacon

woman is hit by a male partner every 18 seconds on average in the United States, according to FBI estimates. A daunting statistic to be sure, but domestic violence is not just physical violence, said Rebecca Robertson, executive director of Domestic Violence Solutions for Santa Barbara County.

“If we do think of it only in those terms, then we minimize all of the rest,” Robertson said. “People will tell you in our emergency shelters (the agency runs three shelters, in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and Lompoc) that it’s the verbal and the emotional abuse … that’s far worse than the bruises or the broken bones.

“It’s harder to escape, it’s harder to admit that it’s happening, it’s harder to see it because a broken bone (is obvious).”

For the past 25 years, DVS has been dedicated to breaking the cycle of domestic violence. In addition to emergency shelters, the nonprofit agency also offers a second-stage transitional housing program, 24-hour crisis lines and a variety of counseling services for victims, perpetrators and their children, as well as for teenagers in all of the public schools.

“We call ourselves the only full service domestic violence agency in county and I don’t think that’s an overstatement,” said Leslee Goodman, associate executive director for development.

One of the agency’s services is DVERT (Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team) in which trained advocates are called in once a scene has been secured at 9-1-1 emergencies involving domestic violence.

“We like to talk to all people involved, not just the victim or survivor but the children, the alleged aggressor,” Robertson said. “We want to talk to everyone so they can know that there is help available for all members in the family.”

The agency turns away more than 100 requests per year for transitional housing and recently began a $1.65 million fund-raising effort to buy a building in Santa Maria. The 14-apartment Santa Barbara transitional facility is 10 years old.

“We have an 85 percent success rate here. The women in this program … establish their own households and most of them within … less than the 18 months (allowed),” said Goodman.

In addition to more transitional housing, Robertson would also like to eventually offer a joint program for domestic violence combined with drug and alcohol abuse. Currently DVS coordinates with other agencies that treat drug and alcohol abuse, child welfare and protective services, law enforcement and others.

“We’re all working with the same clients whether we’re in a drug and alcohol program or in a domestic violence program. We want to do our work better together,” she said.

Women can be the abusers, but men commit roughly 95 percent of all domestic violence. In response, DVS recently launched a Men Against Domestic Violence initiative “to get men to take responsibility … it’s not just a women’s issue, it’s a social issue and to get on board with owning and claiming responsibility for it is a huge thing,” said Goodman.

For more information on DVS programs visit www.dvsolutions.org or call 963.4458. Locally, the 24-hour crisis hotline number is 964.5245.