Searching For Hope And Help:
The Battle Against Domestic Violence

Police statistics for Southeast Queens show that there is an average of 150 to 200 complaints of domestic violence made per week and some experts estimate that a woman is beaten by her boyfriend or husband every 12 seconds in the United States.

Despite the alarming numbers, there are several local groups working to understand and fight back against the problem.

As groups promote awareness of the problem by designating October as "Domestic Violence Awareness Month," the PRESS examines this social issue and the places you can turn to for help.

According to William Landau, a clinical psychologist in the Victims Unit of Queens Hospital Center and a member of Borough President Claire Shulman’s task force on domestic violence and sexual assault, "domestic violence is the abuse of domestic partner, child or elderly family member, and it’s not always physical. Sometimes it’s emotional, sexual or even financial," he said.

Landau said the problem is
more widespread than people realize but shame on the part of the victim contributes to the empowerment of the abuser. The abuser invariably convinces the victim that it is their fault. It’s the childish
"look what you made me do," that the bully uses to keep the victim ashamed to tell anyone. He or she blames the victim and renders them incapacitated.

"It’s not why women stay," said Landau. "It’s why they can’t leave and it affects everyone in the family – from the grandparents to the grandkids. It exacerbates pre-existing health conditions and it can lead to the development of others. Some children get asthma from the stress," he said.

According to the psychologist, every 12 seconds there is someone being abused in a family environment. And the American Medical Association reports that one-third of all emergency visits, and a quarter of ambulatory care, are the result of domestic violence. It further states, that one out of every four women who attempt suicide do so because of domestic violence.

"Many don’t have a support system," said Landau, "and many of them die as a result." Shockingly, Landau revealed that a quarter of the women who are abused by a male partner report that it started during pregnancy. Many, he said, don’t even seek help until the third trimester of the pregnancy.

"Sometimes it’s due to jealousy of the attention the woman is getting," he said. "Sometimes it’s because they don’t want the responsibility of a child, so they try to destroy it. They will hit or kick the woman directly in the stomach in an attempt to destroy the child."

But once the abuse begins, does it stop on its own? Not according to Landau who said that once it begins, a woman becomes a virtual prisoner in her own home.

"You can’t stop it," he said. "Just this week we had a case in emergency – a man was beating his wife and the mother-in-law tried to intervene so he smashed her face with a vase and beat up the whole family."

Landau likens domestic violence to an avalanche. It starts with verbal or financial abuse such as put downs then slapping and kicking, gradually becoming more and more violent.

"It’s the total undermining of you," he said. "So what happens to self-esteem? It goes down to the ground with the snails and we must help them get off the ground," he said sadly.

According to the consensus of experts, there is no typical profile other than that they are all people who need to be in control. They could have been abused themselves, but that does not give them license to abuse others. In addition to the physical effects on the children, it causes problems in school. Many become problem students because they come from "problem homes."

Do economic status, race, education, religion or ethnic background restrict domestic violence? Absolutely not, according to published reports and police officers. Domestic violence knows no boundaries and once it starts it does not stop without intervention or until someone is killed.

The reasons women don’t seek help are myriad but the recurring theme is shame. They are ashamed that reporting their dilemma will expose them to ridicule. Many do not want strangers to know their "private business." Some would seek help but are uncomfortable exposing their shame to counselors and other help groups of different ethnic backgrounds. Still, others fear repercussions from the abuser. All of this, of course, only gives tighter control to the abusers.

According to Father Coleman Costello, director of Walk the Walk, a Long Island City-based organization dedicated to protecting the oldest victims of domestic violence, the problem isn’t restricted to the younger population. The senior population is also vulnerable to abuse. However, he has another name for it.

"I’m opposed to the classification of elder abuse as domestic violence," he said. "Elder abuse is the equivalent of child abuse and if we have to wait 40 years to address elder abuse like we did child abuse, we’re all in trouble."

The latest census statistics, according to Costello, show that the Borough of Queens has the highest population of senior citizens and that will grow by 75 percent within the next 10 to 15 years. However, his is the only agency specifically designed to deal with the issue of elder abuse.

According to Costello, the New York City Department of the Aging estimates that there are 50,000 cases of elder abuse occurring in this city on a daily basis. But Costello says most of the abuse goes unreported because sometimes the abusers are their own children.

And it’s not always hitting. Sometimes the abuse occurs in the form of depravation of medication, food, TV privileges and even company. To complicate matters, according to Costello, the victims often turn to drugs and alcohol, which in turn lead to declining health.

"Studies show that drug and alcohol abuse among the elderly is epidemic," he said.

Walk the Walk recently opened the nation’s first housing facility for the temporary housing of the elderly victims of abuse – a 20-bed facility, according to its director. He also sees the need for auxiliary programs to bolster what his program is trying to accomplish.

"The eyes of the nation are upon us," said Costello.

According to Police Officer Maryann Hopkins, of the 113th Precinct, the police will do everything in its power to protect the victims. "You read the papers and you see all kinds of tragedies, and we want to break the cycle," said Hopkins.

"The first step in protecting yourself is reporting it. There are orders of protection that the police can execute for you. Many women will call the police but when the police get to the door they’re afraid to tell," she said.

Hopkins said for the woman who calls for help and gets an order of protection, there is an alarm or panic button that she will be given and as soon as she feels threatened and presses it, the police will respond. Some precincts such as the 113th, also have in-house counselors who will empower the victim to free herself and her children from the bondage of abuse.

Prompting praise from local legislators and social workers, the District Attorney’s office has announced the expansion of its Domestic Violence Unit into a full bureau that will handle the 12,000 domestic violence complaints occurring in Queens each year.

"Domestic violence cases, both by their nature and in light of their sheer numbers, demand special attention," said District Attorney Richard Brown. "Domestic violence prosecutions are unlike other prosecutions because they pose complex emotional and practical issues."

Whereas the previous unit was only responsible for misdemeanors, the new bureau, headed by13-year veteran and Assistant District Attorney Scott Evan Kessler, will handle both felony and misdemeanor domestic violence cases.

The expansion will also mean the availability of more specialized prosecutors dedicated to these types of cases, as well as enhanced training efforts.

In 1997, the District Attorney’s office launched an initial $2 million initiative, funded through the Violence Against Women Act, that created a special unit dealing specifically with domestic violence crimes.

"The unit sought to break down the traditional reluctance of victims to follow through in the prosecution of cases by providing strong supportive services," said Brown.

According to Liberty Aldrich, senior director of legal services for Safe Horizon, a domestic violence service agency, inaccessible legal services have long posed a major obstacle for battered women attempting to separate from their abuser.

She went on to note that of the 5,523 Queens domestic crime victims that filed for orders of projection last year, the "vast majority" lacked legal representation, and that programs such as the district attorney’s are imperative to battered women.

"We think it is absolutely essential and we applaud the district attorney’s actions," said Aldrich. "Domestic violence is a unique crime and it deserves unique attention."