There’s a rise in domestic violence against women, say officials with Women’s Crisis Support in both Santa Cruz and Watsonville. Laura Segura, executive director of the center, says that calls have increased by 21 percent in the past two years. Segura was reluctant to pin the blame on the recession, but the trend witnessed in the county is repeated elsewhere throughout the nation. Across the country in Rhode Island, for example, felony-level domestic violence has increased by 25 percent.
Of particular concern is the rise in murder-suicide cases resulting from spousal abuse. In September, for example, Gayle Mozee-Baum of Soquel shot and killed her estranged husband before turning the gun on herself. This was one of the underreported instances of spousal abuse in which the husband was the victim.
Part of the problem is a decline in federal funding to help the victims of domestic violence. The Florida Department of Children and Families hotline reported in April that domestic violence shelters were over capacity and were turning victims away. George Sheldon, who oversees the hotline, said it was the worst situation he had seen in years. Much of this has to do with budget cuts: the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act budget lost $2.1 million in 2008, and more budget cuts seems likely. More seriously, perhaps, was a $20 million line-item veto by Gov. Schwarzenegger in July, which impacted 94 shelters and domestic violence centers statewide.
While economic hardship is not a direct cause of domestic violence, the depression, anger, and stress it causes exacerbates already tense situations. Abusers spend more time at home because they have no job to go to, leaving more opportunities for violence. And many women are reluctant to leave an abusive relationship because of the economic uncertainty that they face outside the home.
The problem is best summed up by Sheryl Cates, chief executive of the federally financed National Domestic Violence Hotline: “Domestic violence is up, and while the poor economy that helps drive the violence is still not rebounded, states are drastically slashing funding for domestic violence services.” Santa Cruz is just one county nationwide that is seeing the consequences. Read more at KION and NOW.
