How Does a Battered Women's Shelter Help Victims of Domestic Abuse?
Other People Are Reading
-
Domestic Violence
-
According to the American Institute on Domestic Violence, every year 5.3 million women in America are victims of domestic violence and 1,232 American women a year are killed by their boyfriends or spouses. For women, leaving an abuser can put them in danger. The abuser may stalk the woman and injure or kill her when he finds her.
The Main Role of a Battered Women's Shelter
-
The main role of a battered women's shelter is to protect abused women and their children. Abused women often do not have anywhere safe to run to after escaping their abusers. The shelters provide the women and their children with safe housing at the shelter. The location of many battered women's shelters is not public information. The address is kept a secret to prevent abusers from finding their victims once they have escaped. Women find these shelters through recommendations from police, social workers and abuse hotlines.
-
Additional Roles of the Battered Women's Shelters
-
While providing shelter to the abused women serves an important need, abused women often need other types of assistance as well. Shelters may provide women with legal assistance, such as legal advice for obtaining a restraining order against their abuser. Shelters often offer counseling to women who stay at the shelter. Counseling is important to help the woman heal from the trauma she has endured. Financial counseling and job training may be offered. Most women in the shelters do not have any money and do not have a job. Even if they had a job, they most likely had to quit in order to escape their abuser. Abusers will often try to track their victim down at work. The women may not have any job skills. Financial counseling and job training can give the women the tools they need to become financially self sufficient.
More Need Than Available Shelter
-
Battered women's shelters are usually funded through state grants. Some shelters operate on private donations. State and private funding has not kept up with shelter needs. Because so many women are abused each year, the need for available space in a battered women's shelter is high. Shelters commonly find themselves overfilled and unable to take in more women. Some shelters do not receive enough money to continue operations. The lack of space in shelters too often leaves abused women with nowhere to turn. They are stuck, with lack of options for a place to go, staying with their abuser.
Helping Shelters Help Women
-
There are a few ways that you can help a women's shelter. Talk with a social worker to inquire about volunteer opportunities. Depending on the shelters needs volunteer opportunities can include, counseling, cleaning, cooking and taking phone calls. You can also help a shelter through donations. Money can always help, but items help as well. Most women have no choice but the leave all of their possessions behind when they escape their abusers. Clothing and personal care products are usually needed. Women's shelters often house children as well. Children of abused women likely were not able to bring their possessions either. Childrens clothing and toys are not only needed, they can brighten a child's day.
Getting Help
-
If you are a victim of domestic violence and in need of help, call the police and / or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800)799 -SAFE (7233).
-
