Supporting female victims of crime and their families
Abstract
Battered women and victims of rape and assault have suffered substantial harm, and their families and the communities in which they live are also impacted by these crimes. In Milwaukee, where police receive 1,200 domestic violence calls each month, Brothers Against Domestic Violence (BADV) serves women survivors. These African American men from local churches and mosques are committed to ensuring the safety of women and children by acting as their bodyguards. BADV volunteers escort women to all criminal justice-related activities as well as doctor appointments, shopping and social events. Azalea Aguilar of the National Crime Prevention Council submitted this effective practice in March 2006.Issue
Support for victims of crime and their families should be a top priority for communities and neighborhoods around the country. The needs of these victims range from basic shelter to legal and financial assistance and recovery counseling.
In situations of domestic abuse, perpetrators often tell their partners that they will kill them if they leave, and these threats are serious. Women who leave their batterers are at a substantially higher risk of being killed by their abusers than those who stay.
Action
Brothers Against Domestic Violence (BADV), under the auspices of Asha Family Services, provides bodyguard escorts for women who are victims of domestic violence and who have restraining orders signed by a judge.
The state department of justice or the police department provides criminal background checks on potential candidates.
After passing a criminal background check provided by the state department of justice or the police department, BADV volunteers are educated about the dynamics of domestic abuse. The initial training is 150 hours, and after that, training continues on an ongoing basis.
The bodyguards/escorts:
- Accompany the victims as they obtain restraining orders, and work with the sheriff’s department to make sure the batterers are served with the order.
- Call the police at once if the abuser shows up, and are trained to defend the victim with nonviolent techniques.
- Repair damages the abuser caused to the home.
- Escort the women to all criminal justice-related activities, as well to doctor appointments, shopping and social events.
In many cases, the perpetrators are referred by the courts and probation and parole to Ujima, Asha’s nontraditional abuser treatment program for African American men.
Context
In Wisconsin, 65 to 70 percent of the domestic violence victims are African American women. Asha Family Services (formerly the Women of Color Project), was founded by Antonia Vann in 1989 in response to the need for victim and batterer services for Milwaukee’s African American women. Asha is a spiritually based family violence prevention and intervention agency that draws its staff, volunteers, and resources from the population it serves and from the historically black churches and mosques in the city.
The Brothers Against Domestic Violence is a group of African American men from local churches and mosques who are committed to ensuring the safety of women and children. They are bodybuilders with backgrounds in the military, martial arts, and protective services, and they are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Their message is clear: “Not all men are abusers,” and “Men must hold other men accountable for violence against women and children.”
Faith-based organizations can assist victims and their families by welcoming them into the community and providing a nurturing environment for them. Many communities of faith have always seen this as an important part of their mission, and many have also considered it essential to extend a helping hand in substantive ways -- from meal programs to shelters and legal clinics. Collaboration with criminal justice agencies extends these services and enhances their impact.
Outcome
BADV volunteers lighten the load for police officers. As a longtime provider of domestic abuse services in the city and county of Milwaukee, Asha and the Brothers Against Domestic Violence have a well established relationship with the criminal justice system and among historically black churches and community groups.
Asha and BADV are regular faces in the domestic violence courts and at domestic violence committee meetings.
Asha provides a culturally relevant response to domestic violence, which was previously lacking in Milwaukee where the population is 37.3 percent African American.
Evidence
Asha Family Services reaches more than a thousand clients annually with crime prevention and victim assistance programs.
In 2001, BADV leaders were invited to Washington, DC, to work with Senator Joseph Biden on the Violence Against Women Act.
Posted On
April 12, 2006For More Information