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Rural Communities Are Not Immune from Domestic Violence

Sat, 26 Oct 2024 16:12:04 GMT

Rural Communities Are Not Immune from Domestic Violence

Theresa Galán-Bruce, DMin, LCSW-S

Oct 26, 2024

A year ago, I authored Transformation House’s inaugural blog titled Domestic Violence Remains An Epidemic. Some readers may have considered the title mere hyperbole- an exaggeration. However, the news cycle is replete with stories and statistics that substantiate the veracity of the title. An article published this month reported that Texas domestic violence (DV) homicides have nearly doubled in the past ten years, while another report attests that DV murders in Texas are going up. Bexar County, the 4 ^th largest county in Texas, reports that the number of homicides involving family and DV have increased in 2024. As of September 2024, the total number of homicides was 15 which has already surpassed the total in 2023 of 14. Bexar county has reported a 78% rise in the number of DV cases between 2015 and 2020.

While research and news stories illustrate the continuing increase of DV and intimate partner violence (IPV), these reports seem to be met with indifference. Is it owing to the ubiquitous nature of these stories? Have we become a society desensitized to the harsh and tragic reality experienced by those imprisoned in the cycle of DV/IPV? There are some stories that seep into our collective consciousness seeming to awaken us from our slumber. One such story involves a Bexar County mother of four who has been missing for over 2 weeks. While authorities continue their search, which includes the family home, landfills, wooded areas, and locations in Kendall County, her husband remains in custody on two misdemeanors and two felony charges. The felony charges include the possession of illegal firearms. It would be remiss not to mention that 54% of DV homicides involve firearms.

Though Bexar County borders Kendall County, some within Kendall County may maintain that the problems of DV/IPV remain an urban phenomenon. However, let us remember that less than 3 years ago a murder suicide took the life of a young mother of six in Kendall County. The mother was shot by her husband in their home on New Years Eve 2022. While the victim’s mother acknowledged that her son-in-law had a history of violence against his wife, no police reports were ever filed. The lack of police reporting remains a common thread in both urban and rural areas. Note that research maintains that only between 10-25% of DV incidences are reported to authorities. Those in rural communities are even less likely to seek out assistance furthering the perception that instances of DV/IPV within rural communities are rare.

Some within rural communities may believe that the increase in cases and homicides does not accurately represent their reality. The truth remains clear that rural communities are not immune to the epidemic of domestic violence. One research study found that the degree of abuse, to include the severity and prevalence of physical and sexual abuse was higher among women living in small or isolated rural counties. Another study conducted in 2018 stated that “intimate partner violence is more severe, and homicide is more prevalent in rural areas” (Reckenwald, Yohros & Szalewski, 2018). This study challenges the perception that DV/IPV is mainly an urban matter by pointing out that it can be just as alarming in rural areas. For example, several studies indicate that visits to emergency rooms tend to be higher in rural counties as compared to their urban counterparts. Another report states that the frequency of emergency room visits among those between the ages of 15-64 was higher in rural versus urban areas in all regions except the Midwest. Experts explain that the lack of resources in rural communities leaves an individual at greater risk of escalating violence to the level of requiring hospitalization. One reason for this disparity is that rural women have less access to shelters, physical and mental health professionals, law enforcement, and judicial personal.

Let’s look at the role emergency shelters play. A recent news report cited that Comal County has reported an increase in people needing to leave unhealthy environments. However, the lack of capacity at emergency shelters in rural areas continues to impact survivors of DV/IPV. Presently, both the Crisis Center of Comal County and the Kendall County Women’s Shelter report that they are at or over capacity. Unfortunately, this reflects a trend that communities’ content with. The lack of availability highlights the research finding which maintain that rural women are nearly twice as likely to be turned away because of insufficient resources. Where are the victims of DV/IPV expected to turn as limited resources continue to diminish? Note, December 2023 saw a lack of emergency beds in Bexar County, and surrounding counties. One wonders where the women seeking services turned to.

Several factors contribute to the prevalence of DV/IPV within rural communities, which include isolation, cultural norms/stigma, lack of awareness/education, protective orders, law enforcement response, lack of capacity at DV/IPV shelters. One significant challenge for those in rural areas is how isolation due to geographic location exacerbates an individual’s vulnerability to abuse. Secluded living situations augments the abusers control keeping the individual away from family, friends, and the community. Isolation coupled with a lack of reliable or public transportation makes it almost impossible for an individual to seek help and restricts options for leaving an abusive relationship. Apart from isolation, cultural norms and stigma within rural communities may thwart an individual from seeking help. In some instances, individuals are made to feel ashamed due to community expectations and the fear of being alienated by their community. Lack of awareness and education about the issue remains a salient factor in the persistence of DV/IPV in rural areas. Some individuals may not fully comprehend what constitutes DV/IPV. For instance, some place sexual assault apart from DV/IPV even though sexual assault occurs within DV/IPV.

Engaging and collaborating with local organizations can serve to mitigate some of the risk factors that rural communities face. The first step is to recognize that DV/IPV exists within our communities and have real conversations about how to face this reality. Combating DV/IPV in rural areas takes a multifaceted approach involving community awareness, adapted solutions, and a comprehensive community response. The Institute for Coordinated Community Response (ICCR) helps rural communities develop a coordinated community response to DV. This program brings different agencies together to response to DV/IPV yielding healthier outcomes for victims and their children. The ICCR provides a model which can serve rural communities by drawing upon the communities’ strengths, talents, and generous spirit. It appears to be a viable solution for reducing the rates of DV/IPV incidents and homicides. It is something we here at Transformation House continue to advocate for.

The Faith Community's Vital Role in Eliminating Domestic Violence

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 02:31:50 GMT

Faith Leaders Are Uniquely Positioned to Support Survivors

Theresa Galán-Bruce, DMin, LCSW

Feb. 1, 2024

When I committed to writing a blog about how faith leaders are well-positioned to help stem the epidemic of IPV/DV, it did not seem an insurmountable task. Though faith leaders occupy a privileged place in rural communities, engaging faith leaders around this topic remains an elusive feat and leaves me unsure how to proceed. So, I begin with what I know and that is statistics and stories. I will endeavor to answer the question, “Why is engaging the faith community vital to stemming IPV/DV in rural communities?” Though a myriad of responses can provide an answer, the reality resides in the central role that congregation spaces hold in rural communities.

Faith, religion, and faith-based communities serve as a cornerstone in the lives of many individuals, particularly members of rural regions. As such, faith leaders can play a pivotal role in addressing the epidemic of domestic violence. Research reports that in Texas IPV/DV impacts over 40% of women. Anyone working in the field of IPV/DV would argue that the percentage reaches beyond 40%. The 40% is derived from women who report abuse. Many women do not report the abuse, they remain in the shadows and are not counted as part of the 40% reported. For many women who experience IPV/DV, they subsist in a silo of shame, silence, and subjugation.

Research reports that intimate partner homicide is higher in rural areas as compared to urban. Copious factors contribute to the reality that rural areas present obstacles to safety for women caught in a web of abuse. However, whether residing in urban or rural areas IPV/DV erodes a sense of self and hope and creates a trauma wound that can overwhelm and devastate an individual. For women of faith, their faith leader can be a beacon of light in a world void of hope. In some instances, the faith leader serves as the only voice encouraging a journey toward escape from not only dangerous but life-threatening situations. With the support of the faith leader, a person can take those first steps towards safety.

Faith leaders hold a prominent place in many communities which affords them the ability to serve as important collaborators to work towards the reduction of IPV/DV. Research upholds the reality that women who experience abuse often seek the guidance of their faith community and its leaders. For someone living in the abyss of abuse, hearing a faith leader speak out against IPV/DV can provide them with the strength, courage, and fortitude needed to seek safety. Unfortunately, research aligns with my experience as a person of faith, rarely do faith leaders speak about this epidemic from the pulpit.

What do we hear from the pulpit regarding relationships? The sanctity of marriage, the need for forgiveness, and the importance of the family. While each of these topics remains paramount in the Church and the lives of its members, they cannot eclipse the truth that more than 40% of women suffer in a world of abuse. We have room in our churches to speak to both the sanctity of marriage and admonish IPV/DV. Within a vibrant community filled with people of faith, victims of abuse exist in the shadows alone, unseen, and hopeless. A client once shared, “I felt the most alone in a church filled with individuals…I never heard my story told from the pulpit…all I heard was that God hates divorce.”

Research findings report that many faith leaders feel ill-equipped to assist victims of IPV/DV. The leaders are unsure of how to proceed when a victim seeks out their assistance nor are they aware of the various forms of abuse. While some leaders adhere to certain traditions that uphold the subjugation and oppression of women and lean towards minimizing the experience of abuse, most leaders recognize the abuse for what it is, an affront to God. Many leaders cite their lack of training in this area as a barrier to a more proactive stance. Additionally, many report that they received little to no training in their seminary education on this topic. Rarely did pastor counseling courses address the subject of IPV/DV much less incorporate it into the curriculum. Faith leaders acknowledge their lack of competence in this area, thus occluding their ability to recognize instances of abuse or provide the necessary support when someone comes to them for guidance. For example, a pastor may offer to provide couples counseling, unaware that this places the victim in greater harm and further threatens their safety. Drawing upon research, best practice does not recommend couples counseling when IPV/DV is present or suspected. The Center for Domestic Peace makes an important distinction that couples counseling is beneficial for marital problems and domestic violence is a violent criminal act and not a marital problem. Couple’s counseling is not a panacea when IPV/DV is present. Couple’s counseling places the victim of abuse in great peril. Are pastors aware of this dynamic? Given their lack of training in this area, it is no wonder that pastors find it difficult to navigate such murky waters.

The multifaceted and complex nature of IPV/DV demands a comprehensive approach that includes all members of the community, particularly faith leaders. We must work together to assist communities from congregants to leadership to recognize the ubiquitous nature of IPV/DV. A failure to acknowledge the IPV/DV epidemic can uphold cultures that not only deny abuse but blame the victims which can have devastating effects. Attitudes that shape the culture of any faith community can either serve to perpetuate violence or stem it. As noted, rarely do leaders speak openly about IPV/DV. Though difficult, leaders can begin to speak about the reality of IPV/DV to the community, they can invite experts in the field to come speak to different groups in the community and openly collaborate with IPV/DV advocates and shelters. These few steps can serve as a lifeline for the woman who sits alone in the pews each Sunday. How affirmed would she feel to hear her leader speak against the horrors of this abuse?

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 15:58:55 GMT

Domestic Violence Remains An Epidemic

Theresa Galán-Bruce, DMin, LCSW

October 2, 2023

As my fingers hover over the keys, I struggle to provide a succinct narrative that conveys the tragic reality that is Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)/ Domestic Violence (DV). The phrases IPV/DV will be used interchangeably throughout this blog. DV remains an epidemic within our society. To begin, why use the language of the epidemic? Ask yourself, does that word not fit, when 1 out of 4 women experience DV/IPV in their lifetime? Within rural communities, the incidence is higher 1 out of 3 women experience DV/IPV. Nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. For one year, this adds up to more than 10 million individuals. What about the children living in these violent homes? 1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence. Though hard to imagine, these numbers may be higher. According to research, only 10% to 25% of incidents of IPV/DV are reported, which indicates higher incidences overall. On average, more than 3 women are murdered by their intimate partners in the U.S. every day. In 2021 in Texas, 204 individuals were killed by their intimate partners. In that same year, Boerne experienced one IPV/DV homicide. A woman was killed by her husband in a murder suicide leaving six children without their parents.

Research reports that IPV/DV impacts girls as young as 16 thus predisposing them to continued abuse throughout their lifetime. According to the Texas Advocacy Project, girls, and young women between the ages of 16 to 24 experience the highest rate of IPV/DV, note in Texas this rate is triple the national average. Additionally, the literature states that as women age the abuse is not arrested but continues often to the age 85. Ponder that for a moment. Our daughters, sisters, granddaughters, and cousins, as well as our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and mothers-in-laws, may be experiencing IPV/DV. How can help them? How can we help remove the stigma and shame that keeps them in the shadows? How do we help them see that what they are experiencing is actual abuse and it is wrong?

Raising awareness presents many challenges, but these challenges must be jettisoned if we hope to reduce the number of families impacted by this epidemic. The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) defines DV as follows “Domestic Violence is a pattern of coercive, controlling behavior that can include physical abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, sexual abuse, or financial abuse (using money and financial tools to exert control). Though the NNEDV did not list spiritual abuse as a separate domain, both research and my experience as a clinician recognize spiritual abuse as an element of IPV/DV. Spiritual abuse serves as an extremely effective mechanism to maintain control and perpetuate abuse toward women.

IPV/DV seeps into every facet of society. While domestic violence does not discriminate based on gender, ethnicity, income, education, religion, and overall social status, women do disproportionately suffer at higher rates than men. Working in a rural community, I recognize that we can no longer work in silos but must work in concert to tackle this ubiquitous epidemic Though an ambitious endeavor, this blog aims to build constituencies within the community that include faith leaders, law enforcement, advocates, media, community mental health, emergency shelters, and other social service agencies. Only by working collectively can we hope to find a solution to address the epidemic of DV.

While a comprehensive summary falls outside of the scope of this blog, I will endeavor to provide further exposition on the most relevant topics. Over the next twelve months, a blog will be published every quarter that addresses salient issues. The initial blog will be a basic introduction to IPV/DV. What does IPV/DV look like? Is it abuse if there is no physical violence? To further explicate what constitutes abuse, a juxtaposition of IPV/DV with healthy relationships will be underscored. Part two of this initial segment focuses on what barriers internal and external keep women in the shadows preventing them from seeking the assistance they deserve. How can we as a community help facilitate the access to necessary services for these women?

The second segment concentrates on the role of faith leaders and faith communities. This is a particularly important aspect due to the reality that a high percentage of individuals in rural communities are members of a faith community. This coupled with the fact that faith leaders are usually the first point of contact when a couple experiences tension or discord in their relationship. Our hope is to engage faith leaders and invite them into partnership so that together we can begin to deconstruct the harmful elements of IPV/DV. Though provocative, it remains necessary to discuss the injurious effect of spiritual and religious abuse topic.

The third and final entry will examine why rural communities report higher incidences of IPV/DV as compared to urban areas. What are the factors at play? Additionally, research highlights how rural older women are impacted by abuse. Older women make up one end of the spectrum when talking about vulnerable populations that experience IPV/DV and situated at the other end are our children. Though distressing, I will explore how IPV/DV threatens the healthy development of children leaving them predisposed to anxiety, depression, post-traumatic syndrome, increased aggression, and physical health problems and emotional difficulties in adulthood. Don’t our children and older citizens deserve better? This series serves as A Call to Action to our community to come together and have difficult but necessary conversations. I hope to use this as a platform to build constituencies around this issue and build a collective response.

May is Trauma Informed Care Month

Tue, 23 May 2023 18:27:19 GMT

What is Trauma Informed Care?

May is Trauma-Informed Care awareness month. Trauma-Informed Care initially focused on caring for war veterans in the 1970s who had experienced traumatic events. Researchers and medical professionals learned, through caring for these veterans, how trauma can have a lasting impact on the body and mind. In the 1980s, the National Institute of Mental Health coined the term “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,” or PTSD. This led President Ronald Reagan, in 1988, to recognize the need for trauma awareness and established May as Trauma Awareness Month.

As time passed, the understanding of trauma and its effects on the mind expanded outside of the war and into civilian life. Researchers wanted to know how individuals who experienced other traumas, such as abuse and neglect as children, compared to those who faced traumas well into adulthood.

In the 1990s, Dr. Robert Anda and Dr. Vincent Felitti conducted the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. This study established that traumatic experiences can have a long-lasting impact on an individual from childhood into adulthood. Their work is essential to reducing the effects of adverse childhood experiences and building resilient communities.

Over the next few years, various organizations, including the International Society for Traumatic Stress and the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, were created. In the 1990s, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) expanded the conversation of trauma and shed light on how abuse can affect individuals from an early age. SAMHSA also discussed how re-traumatization can occur years after the initial incident.

By 2000, SAMHSA and the U.S. Congress established the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative and the National Child Stress Network.

Though the concept of Trauma-Informed Care has evolved over the last 50 years, it has gained increased traction and has become an institution for many. Still, there is much work to be done in raising awareness, becoming conscientious of others’ experiences and becoming more empathetic toward one another.

Trauma-Informed Care is one of the services are pleased to be able to offer our women and children at Transformation House.