Domestic violence a growing problem

Drugs and stealing are what the sheriff's office spends a big portion of its time and resources investigating. But there is another area the sheriff's office also sees a lot of calls for, and that is domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault.

A large majority of these calls are domestic-related, meaning the victim and aggressor are related by blood or marriage, live together, or have been in a relationship.

Domestic violence is not just something that happens every now and then; instead it is something we deal with weekly, and sometimes daily. Some statistics show that one out of every five adult women will be a victim of domestic violence, and that does not include children who also can fall victim to domestic violence.

There are always different circumstances involved in domestic violence cases; sometimes finances, stress, and alcohol can play a factor. With drug abuse, we know that the environment a child lives in and around while growing up can help lead him or her into a life of drug use as they become young adults.

After talking to numerous people we have arrested for domestic abuse, I have found this is sometimes the case when it comes to domestic assault. Statistics have shown that a large percentage of people who commit domestic violence abuse have also been victims at one time of the same type of abuse. Domestic violence has become a common type of call that deputies respond to, so much so that I often hear deputies asking another deputy that just came off duty how many domestics they had that shift! This is a problem that is out of control and it is one that will take the entire community to get under control.

Patrolmen check on the businesses, check neighborhoods, and check on suspicious activities, but they do not know what is going on in someone's home and can do nothing but respond to a call after the crime has taken place.

We as a community need to help make people aware of the problem of domestic violence in our county and take an active role in educating our children about such violence.

This month, the sheriff's office has assigned a female deputy as a Sheriff's Office Domestic Violence Advocate that will follow up with victims of domestic violence and offer any assistance available.

There are people and groups in our community who care (such as the Vernon County Domestic Violence Task Force) that are ready and willing to do everything they can to help with this devastating problem in our community, but it will take everyone working together to make a difference.

If you know of someone who has been a victim of domestic violence or someone who may need assistance in some way, you can call the Vernon County Sheriff's Office at 417-283-4400 and ask to speak to the domestic violence advocate.