By HEATHER C. COX
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and according to UNICEF statistics, domestic violence will affect from 16-60 percent of women, or roughly one-third of all women will report being physically abused at least once. These numbers represent women survey takers in 23 different countries who reported having been abused by their partners or husbands.
Comparatively, domestic violence is not exclusively an issue which affects women in relationships. This issue can be relative to anyone who is abused in a domestic setting – including male and female minors as well as men.
Depending on the source, staggering statistics are available as to how different groups of victims of domestic violence are affected. Steven D. Stewart, a prosecuting attorney in Indiana, reports that at least 85 percent of domestic violence victims are women, which is a high percentage when compared to sources such as international news source, The Guardian, which reports that at least 40 percent of domestic abuse in the UK involves male victims.
It should be duly noted that domestic violence often involves or at the very least affects children. According to Childhelp, a program designed to help abused children, in America alone, five or more children die each day as a result of domestic abuse.
In August and September, San Benito Police Department reported arrests for domestic abuse situations relevant to men, women and children. A few cases involved alleged incidents that included a man attacking a woman and a child; a woman attacking a minor female; a woman violently attacking a man; a woman running over a man with a motor vehicle; a male and female both arrested for child endangerment; a man slapping a woman; and a man pushing a woman into a concrete wall. Again, these reports are isolated for the months of August and September.
Asst. Chief of Operations Michael Galvan of SBPD said, “One of the most recent stories of domestic abuse involves a lady who ran over her common law husband,” in a motor vehicle. The man lost part of his leg.” Prior to this, however, “He had been arrested more than once for hurting her.” The woman’s status is still pending court. Because there were children involved in this situation, Galvan continued, “What’s sad is the kids are the ones that suffer.”
In aforementioned SBPD cases involving children, Child Protective Services were notified and/or the child was placed into protective custody.
When asked if any situations in particular might stick out, after years of service with the police department, Galvan sighed and said, “There have just been so many.” He went on to say, “Maybe about a month-and-a-half ago, ‘Dad’ basically assaulted ‘Mom’ and a twelve-year-old ‘daughter’… just because the daughter was wearing make-up. Before that,” Galvan paused, “there were just so many.”
“Fear is all it is,” Galvan said concerning perpetual domestic abuse. In situations of domestic abuse, he said, “The person feels they are stuck in the situation, with not only the fear of being re-assaulted but sometimes they feel they have nowhere to go, no support system.”
“Sometimes,” Galvan continued, “it’s financial reasons. There are even quite a few individuals that hold true to their religious beliefs – that once they’re married, they’re supposed to stay married no matter what. The vows say…for better, for worse… they hold to that value even if they’re being beaten to death.”
When someone in this community is arrested on a charge relative to domestic violence, the SBPD offers an educational pamphlet referred to as a “Notice to Adult Victims of Family Violence.” This document explains that domestic abuse is a crime, regardless of circumstances and even if inflicted by a member of one’s family. “It tells you what your rights are,” said Galvan of the information SBPD provides victims. “It informs someone of their rights to a local prosecutor or to file criminal complaint. They can ask the court for a protective order. It helps with establishing custody of the kids, and it also provides some information about the family crises center and women’s shelter,” both of which are located in nearby Harlingen.
Additionally, Galvan explained that the Texas Dept. of Human Services is available to help with housing, food, or other arrangements a victim might need to consider.
Anytime a victim is relocated to a safety shelter, the location of the actual shelter is kept secret to prevent assailants from finding victims. “But it does go both ways,” said Galvan. He posed these thoughts: “There are battered women’s shelters, but what about the guy asking for help? Where are we going to house them?”
Galvan expanded that out of embarrassment, some men do not want to admit to domestic abuse in which they are the victim. “There is a percentage of society where the man is the victim. I tell my officers to make sure they get to the bottom of each call and investigate well. I tell them to find out who the aggressor really is.”
If officers are able to determine the aggressor, an arrest can be made. “Sometimes, where the female is the aggressor, even the kids will come out and say, ‘Mommy was beating up Daddy,” Galvan explained that it’s necessary to listen to both sides of every account of domestic violence.
Galvan recalled one situation of perpetual domestic dispute at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel. Reportedly, there was a family where the husband was a truck driver and the wife was a Mexican-national. This is how Galvan described the couple: “He was probably about 6 ft.-1 in. and she was maybe 4-ft.-11-in.” and very petite. He was always getting arrested for abusing her. He would say she was crazy and he would claim that she was the one abusing him.”
Galvan added, “They would both be black and blue, scratched up, by the time we arrived, but we started getting witnesses who [reportedly] saw her instigating.” He said after the woman had been arrested at least twice, the incidents finally stopped.
Even though incidents of domestic violence can occur with any gender as the aggressor, including same-sex disputes, situations occur in which officers are simply unable to determine an assailant. For times when both parties claim to be assaulted by the other and both have physical evidence indicating such is the case, Galvan said, “We’ll bring them both in. But if it goes to court and is deemed mutual combat, the whole case will likely be dismissed.”
From socioeconomic status to gender or religious affiliation, no particular group is completely safe from the risk of domestic abuse. Whether a country is third world or industrialized, whether the victim is an infant or a senior citizen and whether the aggressor is male or female, domestic violence has the propensity to affect anyone, anywhere, at any time.
Educational research on domestic violence is available online or at local facilities throughout the community. To obtain a copy of the Notice to Adult Victims of Family Violence, stop by the SBPD or call (956) 361-3880 for more information.
Read this story in the October 3 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.
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