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Domestic Violence Programs Are Being Cut

 
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According to the National Organization for Women’s (NOW) website, hard economic times lead to depression and anger, especially among men. Often, women who are in abusive relationships have no choice but to stay with the husbands who are abusing them. During difficult economic times, battering may increase because the batterer may be spending more time at home. NOW states that “The important point to be made, however, is that the economy does not cause violence, but influences it."

The Florida Department of Children and Families’ hotline reported that domestic violence shelters were so over-crowded that they were turning away victims.
The San Diego County Domestic Violence hotline said that there was a 20 percent increase in calls in January 2010, over 2008. In San Joaquin County the number of persons seeking restraining orders increased 50 percent in the first three months of 2009.

According to the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation, three-quarters of 600 domestic violence shelters reported that more women went for help between Sept. of 2008 and April of 2009, in the entire country.

The National Domestic Violence hotline (1-800-799-SAFE) reported that calls in the third quarter of 2008 increased considerably from the same period in the previous year, and in Sept. of 2008 they increased 21 percent. This hotline gets 255,000 calls a year. In a survey that was conducted on almost 8,000 calls it was found that 54 percent reported a change in their financial situation in the past year and 64 percent said they thought that the abusive behavior had increased over that time span.

A national survey of law enforcement officers stated that 88 percent thought that the economic situation has either led, or will lead to more child neglect and abuse.

Sadly, and according to the Associated Press, some hospitals have reported that they are treating more than twice as many shaken babies as a year ago, and deaths from domestic violence have increased considerably in certain areas. According to the NOW website, “The St. Louis Children’s Hospital reported in April that they are seeing more--and more severely-- shaken and beaten children and that in March, 200 children had to be turned away for lack of bed space in their crisis nursery.”

Dating violence also seems to be on the increase. Apparently, schools may be cutting down on programs targeted at preventing dating violence.

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