Magazine Article - Family Violence

Violence Tears Families Apart
By Jay Sternickle
Article originally appeared in the Life & Times Magazine
Patriot Newspaper, Hinesville, Georgia

Family violence is one of today's most critical health issues, and it tears away at the very foundation of a marriage leaving an abused spouse with nowhere to turn. But there is help for victims of domestic violence through programs offered by Army Community Services' Family Advocacy Program and local community programs like Tri-County Protective Services.

The Family Advocacy Program works to prevent spouse abuse in its early stages through education and treatment programs.  Tri-County Protective Services runs a shelter for victims of violence who have no choice but to break away from an abusive spouse.  Through these programs victims and abusers alike can rebuild the foundations of their relationships.

According to the Georgia Department of Human Resources, more than 250,000 women are battered in Georgia each year.  Woman are injured by beatings more often than from rape, auto accidents, and muggings combined. On Fort Stewart and in its surrounding communities, domestic violence is a  problem that Army regulations and laws such as the Georgia Family Violence Act help provide victims with resources to break the cycle of abuse.

Abuse cuts across all social and economic levels. There is no “typical” victim or abuser.  It doesn't matter what a person's age, sex, race, or economic situation is; domestic violence knows no borders.

More than 250,000 women are battered in Georgia each year. Woman are injured by beatings more often than from rape, auto accidents, and muggings combined.

Domestic violence stems from problems people have in expressing themselves and dealing with anger, according to Rita Campbell, director of the Tri-County Protective Services' Carl Dykes Shelter.  As outside pressures increase, and an abuser's sense of control is lost, violence becomes a way to regain control of their lives.  The lose of a job, financial problems, drug or alcohol use, can all add pressure to unhealthy family situations.  The many pressures of military life can also contribute to family conflicts.

Incidents of violence among military families are no greater than in outside communities, but the problem of abuse is more easily seen in a close-knit community like Fort Stewart, said Campell.

 “I don't think spouse abuse is any more dominant in the military community than it is in the civilian community,” explained Campbell.  “But because of the structure of the military community, more abuse problems are seen, and the problems are taken care of at a earlier stage.  It's not a bigger problem for the military, but often it's more visible.”

An average of 25 cases of abuse are reported a month on Fort Stewart, according to Patricia McKellar, Family Advocacy program manager.  These range from verbal fights, to pushing and shouting, to violent physical abuse.  Since conflicts are reported and dealt with during their early stages, few cases of violently battered spouses are seen, said McKellar.

Many cases handled by the Family Advocacy Program would never come to the attention of civilian authorities.  In the civilian community, abuse must reach an extreme stage before any court or outside authority can intervene.  In the military community, Army Regulation 608-18 allows intervention and treatment in every case to stop conflicts before they reach an extreme level.  No case is ignored, no matter how minor.

While shelters protect victims when there is no other options, Family Advocacy programs work to build relationships by teaching conflict management skills.

The approach of the military to domestic violence is that it is a matter of relationship problems, according to McKellar.  Problems are often mutual between partners. In many cases couples do not know how to manage conflicts that are normal in a marriage.  These problems are magnified by stress and the results can be verbal, emotional, physical and sexual abuse.

Abuse cuts across all social and economic levels. There is no “typical” victim or abuser.

Early intervention is the key to Fort Stewart's program.  At the earliest signs of domestic violence, soldiers and family members are brought into one of many education programs to teach them how to deal with conflicts and build healthy relationships.

When domestic violence first occurs, soldiers and family members are often referred to the SAVE (Stop Abuse and Violence Escalation) program.  The program meets the first Wednesday of every month at the Family Life Center on post.

Meetings are open to anyone who feels they are having problems dealing with anger and conflict in their family situation.  A self-evaluation of behavior problems is done and resources and options for dealing with problems are identified.

In the case of physical abuse or severe emotion abuse, the Family Advocacy Case Management Team examines the case and determines if the abuse occurred and what the level of abuse is. After a review of the case, the team recommends a treatment or education program.  One option is the Domestic Conflict Containment Program.

This program is a 10-week educational course where couples are taught basic skills to help handle conflicts in a relationship.  Classes on anger control, conflict management, role stereotypes, false expectations of marriage and relationship building are taught.  The program is not marriage counseling.  Couples are only referred to marriage counseling after the issues of physical violence are dealt with, and they learn new skills to deal with conflict.

The Family Advocacy Program does not want to split couples up, said McKellar.  The approach of the program is that because of the cycle of abuse, couples will return to a relationship regardless of whether they get help or not.  So by keeping the couple together, and teaching them new skills, the have a chance to sustain, nurture and enrich their relationship.

Without help and some type of behavior modification for the abuser, the abuse is not going to just disappear.

 “There's going to have to be a change, and it's not going to happen overnight,” stressed Campbell.  “Many times clients from the shelter return to the abusive situation and end up coming back to the center two or three times.”

Many things can bind a victim to their abuser:  love, economic pressures, fear of failure.  Victims often make up excuses for the abuser's violent behavior, often blaming themselves.  Many cannot break away from abusive relationships, because they feel that doing so means they have failed.

 “When you marry somebody you have a dream about what that marriage will be like, and the death of a dream is difficult to face,” said McKellar.  “Hope springs eternal in these situations.”

Every woman has the right to feel safe from physical and emotional harm – especially in her own home.

For the spouse who has made the decision to leave an abusive relationship, the Family Advocacy Program will provide shelter and support for them. Some military spouses are involved with abusers who use violence to solve all their problems, and there is no other way to break the cycle of violence.  ACS has a contact with the Tri-County Protective Services for such cases.

Tri-County's Carl Dykes Center, provides a safe haven for spouses from outside pressures so they can concentrate on the issues at the root of the violence.  The center is a multi-purpose facility, providing a haven for spouses, children, runaways and other victims seeking shelter from violence.

Support is also offered through a group environment where victims can realize they're not alone in their problems and their situation can be overcome.  Abuse victims are counseled and learn what their options are so they can make a choice.

When victims first come to the shelter they are often so wrapped up in the problems of the violence that they can't see a way out.  Depending on the choices that a spouse may make, the shelter can help then with returning to their home of record, with finding low-income housing, or with job training so they can become independent and start their lives again.

The whole precess builds up the self-esteem of the abuse victims, who many times feel they cannot exist outside abusive family situations.

From January to September of 1992, the center has provided 1,383 days of shelter for abuse victims; 289 of these days were for military families.  A total of 48 woman were cared for during this period; 28 were from the military community.  Strong ties link the center to the military.

The renovations done on one of the center’s two buildings were done by Fort Stewart's 92nd Engineer Battalion.  The center’s hotline number, 368-9200, was established in honor of the 92nd's work.   Unit wives groups and other Fort Stewart volunteer organizations have made many contributions to the center, according to Campbell.

Community-wide efforts and resources, such as the center, combined with education are the keys to stopping abuse, said Campbell.

“I don't think domestic violence will change without education,” she said.  “It's something that's going to have to be taught at a early stage in schools so children learn that this is not a way a person has to live; there are other ways to deal with anger and emotions other than violence.”

For more information contact the Family Advocacy Program at 767-5058 or the Carl Dykes Center at 368-9200.  The National Hotline for Domestic Violence is 1-800-333-SAFE.

Every woman has the right to feel safe from physical and emotional harm – especially in her own home.