Domestic violence underreported in younger victims

On average, victims try to leave abusive relationships seven to eight times, CPD says.

By Celia Ampel

Published Sept. 24, 2010

Women in abusive relationships attempt to leave the relationship an average of seven to eight times before they actually do and have probably been assaulted even more times, a Columbia Police Department detective said.

In the probable cause statement for former Missouri football captain Derrick Washington's domestic assault charge, the victim said Washington physically assaulted her at least seven times prior to the incident that led to his arrest Sept. 12.

"They put up with it, I think, to some degree," said CPD Detective Randell Nichols, who is part of the Domestic Violence Enforcement Unit. "They accept what's going on and don't call it domestic violence."

Women often believe they can fix troubled relationships, CPD spokeswoman Jessie Haden said. Abusers are usually apologetic after an attack, so victims think things will improve. Even after an abuser is arrested for the first time, attacks will sometimes continue, she said.

"It's very common for women to be abused multiple times prior to ever calling the police," Haden said.

There is a stigma associated with domestic violence that keeps victims from reporting the crime, Nichols said. That stigma increases with socioeconomic status.

"People with a lower socioeconomic status tend to be more willing to report to us," Haden said.

Educating young women about domestic violence is very important because their reasoning skills are still developing, Haden said.

"The younger you are, the less of a critical thinker you are," she said. "It happens to young women much more than I think people realize."

Often, couples aren't violent until they've been drinking, Haden said. Alcohol impairs judgment, increasing the chance of violence and causing the victims to let their guard down.

"It's certainly a common theme," she said.

In handling domestic violence cases, the MU Police Department helps direct victims to get the assistance they need in each specific situation, MUPD Capt. Brian Weimer said.

If the victim is female, she might be directed to a domestic violence shelter. If it's a problem with a roommate, the victim might find resources within the Department of Residential Life.

"There's no canned approach to anything with law enforcement," Weimer said.

CPD assigns every domestic violence case to a DOVE investigator, Haden said. The DOVE Unit works with a victim after the arrest and does follow-up photos and follow-up evidence for the prosecutor, Nichols said.

After a domestic violence arrest is made, the DOVE Unit gives phone numbers of counseling centers and women's shelters to victims but explains to them they aren't obligated to use those resources, he said.

"The most important thing is to call law enforcement," Weimer said.

In most of the domestic violence cases the DOVE Unit sees, the involved parties were dating for just a few months, Nichols said. There aren't a lot of reported cases of abuse within long-term relationships or among college students, but that does not mean it isn't occurring, he said.

"It's less reported, probably, among younger women," Nichols said.

The DOVE Unit goes to police departments throughout the state and gives training on giving assistance to domestic violence victims. One officer speaks about domestic violence in classes at the MU School of Law and the School of Social Work, Nichols said.

High-profile domestic violence cases such as Derrick Washington's can help decrease the stigma associated with abuse victims coming forward, Haden said.

When domestic abuse cases are sensationalized, the audience can become turned off to the victim, she said.

"High-profile cases do shift public perception, as long as they're treated with dignity by the media," Haden said.