INTRODUCTION
Domestic abuse is still a major problem for many women, particularly in the United States. Alaska is no exception; according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, women have a 25% chance of experiencing some form of domestic abuse in their lifetime (2005). Domestic abuse can cover myriad offenses, from physical violence to emotional abuse, and even sexual abuse and rape. When in an abusive relationship or having endured some form of domestic abuse, it can be difficult to find a place to turn to. In Alaska, with its smaller population and greater sprawl, it can often make it hard for women to find a place to go where they will be safe. Fortunately, the Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis shelter in Anchorage provides a haven for Alaska women who need help escaping this particular problem. In this essay, the need for shelters such as will be argued, and the necessity and usefulness for centers like AWAIC will be advocated.
WOMEN’S ABUSE
Women’s abuse in Alaska is nearly at epidemic rates, making the need for a safe haven for victims imperative. According to NCADV, 2005 saw more than 6,000 cases of domestic violence reported in the state of Alaska. Nearly three quarters of the population of Alaska knows someone who has gone through some sort of sexual assault or domestic violence; nearly 15% of the violent crimes in Alaska in 2005 were rapes, of which there were 524. These numbers are frightening, especially given Alaska’s somewhat smaller population (NCADV, 2005).
The statistics for women in Alaska are not favorable; compared to the rest of the country, women are two and a half times more likely to be raped in Alaska than in the average state. On a per capita basis, no other states’ men murder more women than in Alaska – this state has the highest levels of man-on-woman murder in the entire country. Even children are not safe; there is a 600% higher chance that a child will be sexually assaulted in Alaska than in any other state. Out of all of these, nearly a third of Alaskans who have needed victim services have not been able to access it, as their local area had no such services to call on in that time of need (NCADV, 2005). This left them without the resources to combat this situation and better their own circumstances, leaving them in a continued state of abuse, or without the means to cope with what had happened.
These statistics are horrifying, and an interesting example of the reasons why greater resources are needed to fight domestic abuse, and protect women from being continually assaulted. The largely sparse, spread out geography of Alaska’s population makes it so that many resources are not readily available to Alaskans – this is most especially true of domestic abuse centers. The fact that Alaska carries some of the highest anti-women violence statistics in the country is an egregious problem that needs to be addressed immediately, before more victims can fall through the cracks, unable to benefit from any sort of help.
One acute problem facing domestic abuse victims, particularly women, is that many women will not quite seek out police involvement until their own functionality has been impaired to a sufficient degree so as to inspire them to call. According to studies, the chances of involving the police in a domestic abuse situation increase substantially the more grievous the injuries sustained by the woman. There are a number of factors to this; one of them is the idea that the woman can still handle being in such a terrible situation, and believes she can deal with it. In those instances where a woman is severely battered and hurt, she might deem it prudent to call the police and finally remove herself from the situation (Lee et al., 2010).
Another factor that increases the chances of a domestic abuse victim involving the police is the impairment of social interaction – the longer a woman is separated from her friends and family by an abuser, the more likely the police will be called. (Lee et al., 2010). However, these situations should not be the case; women should seek help whenever they are able to, or as soon as domestic abuse manifests itself in a relationship or individual encounter. Far too many domestic abuse situations get out of hand because the woman does not feel like she can leave; the perpetrator has ingrained into her mind that she cannot leave, either for the children or because her presence makes him happy. This creates an increasingly damaged perspective on the situation, where the victim may feel as though she deserves the abuse, or that it is no big deal to her. This is far from the case, and steps must be taken to at least provide the resources needed for domestic abuse victims to have a means to take action, whenever they choose to do it.
With the need for quality domestic abuse support of paramount importance in Alaska, the Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis center is a fantastic resource, and one of the only ones in the state to be able to provide women with 24-hour sheltering from domestic violence. Their primary mode of communication is through a 24/7 crisis line that they maintain, where domestic abuse victims can call in and get help and support from a specialized advocate. These people can do everything from simply listen to provide you with access to shelter and other avenues of protection. They are the first line of defense when it comes to domestic abuse (AWAIC, 2011).
If it does become clear that you need to be protected, and that you need further services, there are a variety of things that the AMAIC can do. For starters, their 24-hour shelter is open to all who need help escaping from domestic abuse; this shelter is available for up to a month, which is plenty of time to determine other accommodation options and resolve potential situations. A case manager can be assigned to any domestic abuse survivor to personally handle their situation; this equips them with the tools they need to get access to other services they might need, and victims can be apprised of their options (AWAIC, 2011).
In the event that children are the ones who need to be protected from domestic abuse, it is clear that unique protection and care is needed for them as well. There are specialized caregivers at AWAIC that know exactly how to handle children who have encountered domestic abuse situations, providing them with strength and solace. No matter the age group, they can come to AWAIC and use the facilities there, which include education and school transportation – this allows them to go to school while still avoiding those who commit domestic abuse against them. Another haven for these children is the Rotary Youth Center, a secure place where they can play and interact with other kids, a necessary part of childhood that needs to be nurtured during their struggles with domestic abuse (AWAIC, 2011).
AWAIC is also equipped to help those who are leaving the shelter, instead of abandoning them in their moment of need. There is a Moving Forward program uniquely designed for domestic abuse survivors, which allows them help with finding new residency, protection, financial aid and the like. For up to six months after they leave the shelter, victims can call upon these resources whenever they need it. A transitional house, called the Harmony House, is affordable housing offered to domestic abuse victims to get them back on their feet. Willa’s Way, the Alaska Native Women in Anchorage program, is another such program that emphasizes smaller safehouses and intimate, specialized care for their cases; this is uniquely beneficial for Alaskan women, as they are used to more rural situations with smaller environs and just a few people involved with them (AWAIC, 2011).
AWAIC provides legal advocates for those domestic abuse victims who need to navigate the legal system in order to find peace from their situation. These advocates help a victim on every step of the way, including arranging custody and visitation rights between parents for their children. If a victim needs additional help with their cases, whether it be financial aid or case management, AWAIC also has access to the Anchorage Domestic Violence Prevention Project (ADVPP), a program mean to keep domestic abuse victims safe and hold abusers accountable for their actions, both financially and legally (AWAIC, 2011).
Of course, AWAIC would most certainly not be enough to handle the entire domestic abuse needs of an entire state. Despite its central location in Anchorage, it is only one facility; what’s more, people need to be able to have more localized facilities adjacent to their home areas, so that they can easily access them. Even if they could all reach AWAIC, the facility likely does not have the size or the money to address many of the issues that need to be dealt with; some studies show that overworked health care workers dealing with abusive women can also be deeply affected by the stories of domestic abuse victims (Goldblatt, 2009). In light of this fact, more facilities and a greater pool of manpower is necessary to handle all the domestic abuse victims in Alaska in a safe and effective way, while still protecting the abuse care workers and allowing them a reasonable caseload.
In conclusion, there are a number of reasons why facilities like the AWAIC need to be supported and patronized in Alaska. First, the statistics for domestic abuse in Alaska are staggering; there is a truly horrendous problem with man-on-women violence in the state. What’s more, many who endure these problems are not given the support they need, due to resources being too far away or not well-advertised enough to make themselves known. Women and children alike are left with little choice but to remain in broken homes, as they have nowhere else to go. Often, they will not even take action unless they are seriously hurt or impaired socially. Resources such as the AWAIC center are fantastic, as they provide a variety of services to battered women and children, permitting them to have a consistent throughline of support from shelter to legal aid, never having to wonder where their next step will take them.
However, in order to accommodate the large numbers of domestic abuse victims in the state of Alaska, and to lighten the load of the increasingly overworked abuse care professionals who work in such facilities, further action must be taken. More facilities need to be placed in similar central locations around Alaska, and more workers need to be brought on to handle the increased intake. Only then can women be given the support they need – a way out of a domestic abuse situation.
References
Goldblatt, H. (2009). Excusable Deficiency: Staff Perceptions of Mothering at Shelters for Abused Women. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(8), 1645-1654.
Lee, H., Park, E., & Lightfoot, E. (2010). When Does a Battered Woman Seek Help From the Police? The Role of Battered Women’s Functionality. Journal of Family Violence, 25(2), 195-204.
NCADV. (n.d.). Domestic Violence Facts: Alaska. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Retrieved July 25, 2011, from www.ncadv.org/files/Alaska.pdf
Service. (n.d.). AWAIC. Retrieved July 25, 2011, from http://www.awaic.org/
