Sunday, January 23, 2011

Article: Sharp spike seen in Oregon domestic violence deaths

EUGENE, Ore. - Allyson Archibald was found dead on a sidewalk in Springfield last November.

Her boyfriend has been accused of beating her to death. If true, that would make the 18-year-old mother one of 55 women and children in Oregon who died as a direct result of domestic violence in 2010.

"Almost all of those homicides that happened this year happened when the women ended their relationships or were looking to end their relationships," said Womenspace Domestic Violence Executive Director Peggy Whalen.

From 2009 to 2010, the number of domestic violence deaths in Oregon rose by 21. Whalen said while it's a sad statistic, it's not surprising.

Most of the victims were female, and 80 percent were killed by a current husband or boyfriend.

"Domestic violence is all about power and control, and he's got power and control over her," said Whalen. "And if she's leaving, he doesn't have power and control anymore, so he has lost control."

The sharp rise in deaths linked to domestic violence may be a direct result of the economic climate.

"What we're seeing is that women right now, because of the economic situation, are staying in relationships longer then they ever have," said Whalen.

Many don't have money or jobs to leave and support themselves.

One reflection of this problem is the increase of calls on crisis lines, not just at Womenspace, but all over the state.

"We've received roughly 1,700 more calls this year than we did in 2009," Whalen said.

With more calls coming in, and more women seeking services, Whalen said it's become increasingly harder on her staff to keep up.

"It doesn't matter what the demand is, we can only house so many people," she said. "We're having to turn people away more and that's really hard."

Whalen said it's not just low-income women who are suffering; victims come from all walks of life.

"This isn't something that just happens to people who are on the lower end of the economic spectrum," she said. "Domestic violence happens in all types of relationships."

No comments: