Helping survivors find safety

Oct. 9—HUNTSVILLE — While the world stopped during the pandemic, the battles many face at home didn't.

As the world returns to normal, the fight against domestic violence continues with the help of organizations like SAAFE House and the Huntsville Police Department.

After a jump in calls during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic — as domestic violence victims and abusers were stuck at home together — the SAAFE House hotline has since plateaued at a steady rate, though in a perfect world, to have no calls would be preferable.

Separately for the Huntsville Police Department, reflecting over the past year, lieutenant Jim Barnes has noticed an upswing in domestic violence cases processed through the department.

"There's definitely an increase, but not a substantial increase, so we're experiencing about the same as we normally did before the restrictions that COVID placed," Lieutenant Jim Barnes said.

While the Huntsville Police Department does receive some calls from college-related domestic violence cases, Barnes notes that the department receives just as many, if not more from the general population.

"I think the one thing that we see mostly is people are willing to call us initially, but they may be less willing to follow through," Barnes said. "They call us, we take the initial report, we get them some help, but then they go back to their abuser. We deal with that all of the time, we get people out of bad situations that then put themselves back in that same situation for whatever reason."

Statistically, it takes victims seven tries to leave their abuser for good, for complex reasons. In many cases, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a victim's inability to leave is due to their fear of their abuser following through on their threats.

"It's a sad thing that we have to deal with and it's a dangerous thing, we do the best we can and we get the victims the help they need," Barnes said.

"I encourage anyone to get the help that they need and there is help out there, certainly the police department is more than willing to help, but if you don't feel comfortable calling us, get help somewhere is my biggest recommendation."

The first step in ending domestic violence is speaking out and seeking help. The Huntsville Police Department will respond to calls and arrest the violator

"If you call us and you need help, we will do everything that we can to help. We will arrest the violator if there is somebody abusing someone else in a domestic situation and we are legally able to do so, we will put that person in jail," Barnes said.

The department then coordinates through their female victim's liaison coordinator to work with SAAFE House to get victims to a safe place away from their abuser, where they can get the help they need.

Every year, SAAFE House typically serves about 148 clients, offering support services, shelter, resources, empowerment skills, crisis services, advocacy and accompaniment through the hospital, law enforcement and court.

Last year, the non-profit saw the emergence of many senior citizens seeking assistance, as stay-at-home orders altered their domestic life. Elderly women sought SAAFE House's help in separating their social security from their husbands and learned how to live independently after nearly a lifetime with their partners.

In Texas, 40.1% of women and 34.9% of men experience intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner rape and, or intimate partner stalking in their lifetimes, however, the afflictions of domestic violence are not always so upfront.

Domestic violence goes beyond breaking the boundaries of physical interaction, oftentimes, it invades the soul slowly over time, creating a systematic pattern of power and control, perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. This type of abuse can effortlessly fly under the radar as a humiliating joke at one's expense here, a jab at their self-esteem there, to such a subtle effect that many victims don't even see it happening.

"I think having a month where we focus on domestic violence and bringing to light for people that are suffering somewhere that you're not alone, people are willing to help you and all we can do is encourage those folks to get help and get out of that situation," Barnes said.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month not only raises awareness for survivors, but promotes the SAAFE House and its services to both those in need of help, as well as those looking to volunteer or donate.

"It's a busy month for us," said Rene Murphy, the executive client services director at SAAFE House, as the non-profit gears up for a month of events aimed at offering support and raising awareness for domestic violence victims.

"People don't tend to see domestic violence as an actual problem because it's hidden in homes a lot of times, so we just want to bring it to light to let women or men know that we're here to help," Murphy said.

In partnership with Sam Houston State University, SAAFE House will be hosting many community events throughout the month, including their annual Luminary event on Oct. 18 with the SHSU Delta Kappa chapter of Alpha Chi Omega. The candlelight vigil will honor the many lives lost to domestic violence while hearing from survivors.

Community members can help show support for domestic violence survivors by wearing purple on Oct. 21 for Go Purple Day, followed by a courthouse gathering from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. that same day. Participants will be sharing signage made during the sign-making event, held on Oct. 12 in the George J. Beto Criminal Justice Center flag room.

A kit event will also be held on Oct. 26 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is open to the community to stop by the George J. Beto Criminal Justice Center flag room, helping assemble kits for victims in the hospital due to sexual or domestic violence.

The non-profit's thrift store, Elite Repeat, accepts donations year-round to sell in their shop to cover the day-to-day expenses of the operation. Additionally, SAAFE House is still running its Buy-a-Picket fundraiser to raise funds for a security fence to be added around the new shelter's location, which will allow those in their shelter services to move in once installed.

SAAFE House has also partnered with Bill Fick Ford and Wiesner of Huntsville, who have pledged to donate a portion for every car sold in the month of October to SAAFE House.

"We are based on community support, without the community, we can't make it, so we are just very grateful to have all of the support that we have in the community," Murphy said.

To donate or learn more about SAAFE House's services, visit www.saafehouse.org. or call (936) 291-3529. For immediate help, contact the SAAFE House 24-hour crisis hotline at (936)291-3369 or (936)327-2513.

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