Family Violence Prevention

 

We will actively support family violence prevention. We will provide leadership in promoting healthy, safe family environments by helping to implement the community’s five-year Family Violence Plan and the Community Plan.

 

Who Gets Hurt?

Any family abuse is a community concern!

 

While all the family violence that actually occurs may never be possible to fully count, it can be said that on average in Deschutes County:

• Each day one child is found by child protection services to be abused or neglected.
• Each day one elder is found by adult protection services to be abused or neglected.
• Each day law enforcement responds to three incidents of domestic disturbance between adult family members (more women victims than men).
• Each day the hotline responds to more than seven callers (mostly adult women, usually victims) seeking help to deal with family violence
• Each night eleven individuals (mostly adult women) use emergency shelter to escape family violence.

In 2001, this added up to 344 children hurt, 431 elders hurt, 1251 other adults hurt, 535 IPV arrests at 1040 police calls & 317 shelter residents staying an average of 2 weeks each.

 

The court in this county on average receives:

• Each month nearly three cases to terminate parental rights (30 in 2001),
• Each week nearly two cases with felony charges for domestic assault witnessed by a child (100 in 2001), and 
• Each day nearly two petitions for a restraining order between intimate partners (616 in 2001).

Dating violence is closely related. The 1993-99 National Crime Victims Surveys showed that 17 in 1000 never married females aged 16-19 years were abused by an intimate partner.

 

Who Offends?

Men are more likely to abuse women than the other way around. As many as 30% of women report abuse in their lifetime compared to 13% of men. Children are abused more often by family members (94.7%) and most of them by mothers (44.4%) or fathers (28%). Abuse also occurs in same sex relationships at a rate estimated to nearly equal that of women abused by men.

 

It’s Not Anger. It’s About Control.

Most of us might think that abuse comes at the hand of an angry, rageful person. But it’s not about the offender acting out anger or hurt feelings. Such feelings may be a problem for offenders but the gateway to violence rests in attitudes and beliefs. FV is about one person motivated by antagonistic control over others. Like any bully in school, an offender feels a sense of entitlement to hurt others and does what he or she can get away with.

 

Signs to Watch.

You or someone you know may fall victim to family violence.    It can hurt you physically, mentally, emotionally, socially & financially.

 

Does a family member...

• Continually criticize, shout at you, or humiliate you?
• Brandish a weapon at you?
• Keep you from working, take the car keys, control your money, make all your decisions?
• Regularly threaten to leave, or order you to leave?
• Hurt your pets?
• Destroy your property, punch holes in walls, or break things?
• Threaten to harm you or any relatives if you don't obey his/her demands?
• Demand sex after threats or beatings?
• Accuse you of being unfaithful?
• Become unrealistically jealous?
• Have uncontrollable and spontaneous fits of anger?

Getting Help

Help is available. Asking can be hard. Someone who is abused may risk more harm to self, children, pets or property just by seeking help. Family, neighbors & friends may look the other way, because abuse is hard to face.

 

The Family Violence Council can help. Simply call the number below that best fits your need or call 322-7534 for general FV information.

 

Deschutes County Numbers To Call

Child Abuse: 388-6161

Elder Abuse: 388-6161

Intimate Partner Abuse:    389-7021

Any Immediate Danger: 911

Family Violence Services and Support Groups