Published: July 18, 2008 11:12 pm            

Madison County Health Care Summit

Domestic violence spreading

The national and local domestic violence epidemic is beginning to spread from the home to the workplace, and this was the focus of a discussion Friday that was part of the Madison County Health Care Summit hosted by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce.

Robyn Moreland, executive director of Hope’s Wings Domestic Violence Program, hosted a discussion titled “Recognizing Domestic Violence /Spouse Abuse in Employees and How to Help.”

She began by showing the audience some compelling statistics from the American Institute on Domestic Violence:

• 96 percent of victims report having physical problems at work;

• 74 percent are harassed at work by their abuser; and

• 56 percent are habitually late to work.

“I wonder how many people have been fired from what looks like being a bad employee, when there is really a lot of domestic violence going on causing the victim to constantly be late and miss work a lot,” Moreland said.

In a 2002 survey among chief executive officers nationwide, 91 percent of them said that domestic violence affects both private and work lives of employees, Moreland said.

“It is a big issue and I’m glad that you’re here today talking about it,” said Jim Rousey, director of the Madison County Health Department

“It’s important to recognize that (domestic violence) is a community issue, not just an individual issue,” she said. “It’s important for us to pay attention and figure out what we can do as employers to be able to protect the people who work for us.”

There also are some shocking statistics when it comes to the medical treatment for abuse victims.

Medical services provided for victims of domestic violence averages to be about $4.1 billion each year, Moreland said.

Yearly nationwide percentages show that out of all women admitted to emergency rooms across the country, 37 percent are the result of domestic violence, she said.

“Numerous corporations and government agencies already are addressing domestic violence with great success,” she said. “And it also lets (victims) know that you’re not going to overreact. They need to have people in their place of employment who are specialists in that area and who are able to recognize it and deal with it there.”

Studies show that if you have information in place that talked about domestic violence in the workplace, then employees will be more likely to get counseling.

“Victims want to be believed, not judged,” Moreland said. “If you judge her and don’t believe her, you may be the last person she ever told.”

        

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