Lincoln County Healthcare and healthcare providers around the state received a domestic violence advisory, issued by the Public Health Director at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on Dec. 9. The advisory sent by the Director, Dr. Dora Anne Mills, recommends that physicians and healthcare providers conduct routine screening of patients for domestic violence and that the medical personnel receive training on the matter.
According to the CDC, 60 percent of Maine’s homicides are related to domestic violence. The advisory also alerts medical personnel, emergency workers and law enforcement that the number of domestic violence-related homicides in Maine has doubled this year compared to last.
“It’s a pretty complicated web,” said Tina Tucker, Lincoln County Community Educator at New Hope for Women in Damariscotta, a social change non-profit group that helps victims of domestic abuse. “It’s hard to know where that spike is coming from.”
Tucker said in fiscal year 2007, her organization received 521 hotline calls. The organization’s staff made 166 in-person contacts, meeting with individual people who have experienced abusive relationships. In fiscal year 2008, there were 712 hotline calls at the Lincoln County organization and staff had 311 in-person contacts.
“The fiscal year ended on Sept. 30, so we don’t have statistics for October, November or December as yet,” Tucker wrote in an email message. “Even so, there was a dramatic rise.”
The Waldoboro Police Dept. has responded to domestic violence incidents in and around Waldoboro. According to the department, there were 11 charges of domestic violence assault from January of this year, to date. Two of those charged were female and nine were male.
The department said they also had one complaint of domestic harassment, one complaint of domestic threatening, seven verbal domestic complaints and one mutual assault, where both parties were assaulting each other. The various and complex reasons in the stories behind all these calls were as varied as the calls themselves.
Tucker said it is not as simple as blaming the problem on the economy. Some factors, such as drinking and drug use can be contributing factors, but are not causal. The same can be said for stress.
“The reality check is that we’re all under stress,” she said.
People are losing their jobs, but not everyone is turning violent against their respective partners, she added. Alcohol in stressed relationships can evaporate a person’s inhibitions and push that person to cross the line toward abuse.
Tucker said the more resources and information people have, the better. The organization has worked in Lincoln County to connect people with those needed resources.
“We welcome community support in reaching out to people who experience domestic violence in any form,” Tucker said. “We’d like the medical community to use us as a resource.”
The CDC advisory suggests physicians conduct routine screenings of patients for domestic violence. Mills stresses that healthcare providers be made aware of domestic violence resources for victims and to pass on the information to their patients.
Tucker said helping the victims of domestic violence is a challenge, because people don’t often come forward, for a number of reasons. Fear is a common tool used by an abuser to keep a victim from seeking assistance.
According to Mills, domestic violence is also referred to as “silent crimes,” because bystanders and victims are too afraid to seek help. Mills said domestic violence comes in the form of physical, sexual, economic, emotional, and psychological abuse.
“By screening for domestic violence and sexual assault, we can help victims receive the services they need and help improve the health outcomes physicians and other providers are trying to address,” Mills said.
Tucker said the bulk of the work at New Hope For Women involves safety planning. They work with victims involved in dangerous and/or violent relationships to get themselves out. Tucker said domestic violence is an ongoing issue and victims need community support.
New Hope for Women is located on 17 Water St. in Damariscotta. Tina Tucker can be reached at 563-2450. The 24-hour hotline, open seven days per week, is: 1-800-522-3304.
Several resources were listed in the advisory for physicians and health care providers. Individuals may benefit knowing these resources, as well. The Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence has a 24-hour hotline at: 1-866-834-4357(1-866-834-HELP), (TTY 1-800-787-3224). Their website is www.mcedv.org.
The Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault’s 24-hour hotline is 1-800-871-7741 (TTY 1-888-458-5599). Their website is www.mecasa.org.
Additionally, the emergency information hotline 2-1-1 has information regarding domestic violence.
