The Legal Issues 165
violence crimes against women were reported to the police each
week. Not surprisingly, this tragic state of affairs passes straight
on down to the kids—children in homes with spousal violence
are up to fifteen times more likely to be abused or neglected than
are kids in peaceful homes.
Horrors on the home front. Domestic violence is the leading source
of injury for women between the ages of fifteen and forty-four.
One-third of all women who arrive at doctors’ offices or hospitals
seeking emergency treatment, and up to one-quarter of all those
seeking prenatal care, are victims of domestic violence. While all
fifty states require doctors to report instances of child abuse, there
hasn’t in the past been any real requirement for reporting bat-
tered spouses. Doctors are reluctant to wade into the domestic
thicket.
Many people don’t realize just how rapidly a spousal violence
situation can arise, flare up, and become physically dangerous. An
incident can literally progress (or should I say regress) from mere
name calling to homicide—all within a few short minutes. The
following list of safety-first tips for abused women was prepared
by the Domestic Violence Legal Hotline in Honolulu. I like their
practical focus on the basic nuts-and-bolts steps to take when an
incident occurs. Most important is to protect yourself and your
children from immediate danger. That way, you can escape harm,
and you can strengthen your legal claims against the abuser. Here
are some of their pointers:
• Decide now where you’ll go and how you’ll get there the
next time he becomes violent. Do this, even if you don’t really
think there will be a next time.
• Leave some money, an extra set of car keys, and extra cloth-
ing hidden outside your house or at a neighbor’s or friend’s
house.
• Keep copies of important documents (birth certificates, med-
ical records, financial records, marriage license, etc.) hidden
near an exit or at a neighbor’s or friend’s house.
• Tell someone you can trust about the violence; try to develop
friendships with neighbors. Ask them to call the police if they
hear suspicious noises coming from your house.