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Short Sighted

Recent events involving pop entertainers Rihanna and Chris Brown have again brought domestic violence to the forefront of our attention. Even after such a case as this, and one of the most glaring examples in recent history, O.J. Simpson, many in our community continue to desperately deny that domestic violence is an inherent problem that continues to worsen. Domestic Violence is actually at epidemic proportions and can no longer be ignored.

            Once again, domestic violence has reared its ugly head and our community continues to struggle to provide an adequate response. Instead of building out resources to address this epidemic, we are cutting funds from these vital programs. On February 8, police responded to an emergency 911 call and found a woman, Rihanna, alleging that her 19 year-old boyfriend Chris Brown had assaulted her after they got into an argument. In a statement, police reported that the couple got into an argument that escalated into an “alleged domestic violence felony battery.”

            This incident is not an isolated one in our society. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), each year, about 4.8 million women experience domestic violence, related physical violence, and rape. One in four women are, or will be victims of domestic violence. Furthermore, according to the Bureau of Justice Crime Data Brief, on average, more than three women a day are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends. These statistics are frightening; however, what is more frightening is the response of our young people.

            As reported in a recent article in the Chicago Tribune, teens responded to the Rihanna/Chris Brown incident with this sentiment: “She probably did something to provoke it” and “I would have punched her too.” Recent activity on Chris Brown’s “My Space” page expressed approval and delight at the possibility that he had assaulted a woman. A substantial percentage of our local youth are vulnerable to similar thought patterns.

            How can the Long Island community respond to events such as these? A good start is to put resources into effective evidence-based prevention education programs that change youth behavior and community “norms.” Research shows us that we learn what is “acceptable” behavior at a very early age. Role modeling and a proactive curriculum need to be shared with children as young as kindergarten. In order for us to begin to reduce the number of victims here on Long Island who suffer the pain of domestic violence, everyone will need to start working with out youth early.

            The Retreat, a non-profit leader on Long Island, has been providing domestic violence services on the front lines for over 20 years. The Retreat touches and impacts more than 16,000 individuals annually through education programs in East End Schools, a 24-hour Crisis Hotline, advocacy and counseling services, and a shelter.

            Unfortunately, during challenging economic times, education programs, like the ones The Retreat operate, are the first programs to be cut or eliminated. For some, it seems like an easy place on a line-item budget to plug a budget deficit. It is very tragic because these education services are designed to prevent domestic violence starting at an early age. The long-term costs, both human and financial, can be staggering, a high price to pay for shortsighted budgetary decisions. I urge all community leaders to examine the impact proposed budget cuts will have on our community and out young people. During hard economic times we should be reinvesting in our community, rather than tearing down its infrastructure. What might fix a short-term budget deficit will inevitable cost our community much more.

 

 

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 11:01 am and is filed under Executive Director.

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