Victim Services raises awareness for Domestic Violence Awareness Month
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Victim Services has once again set out the six silhouettes – representing those Howard County residents who lost their lives to domestic violence – at the Howard County Courthouse. Silhouettes were also placed in their respective counties, also served by Victim’s Services, where victim’s of domestic violence have lost their lives. Silhouettes are placed at the Courthouses in Martin County, Borden County and Glasscock County.
“The silhouettes each tell a story and will be on display throughout the month of October, for the community to stop by and see,” Linda Calvio, Executive Director of Victim Services, said.
Normally, a ceremony is held at the Howard County Courthouse marking the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but this year due to the pandemic situation, the ceremony was cancelled. However,
while the public ceremony may have been cancelled, the need for awareness does not disappear. According to reports and statistics, domestic violence and abuse has increased over the course of the pandemic and the ability to spot these forms of abuse is harder while everyone is secluded and social distancing.
“In 2017, there were 136 killed in Texas as a result of domestic violence,” Calvio said. “Thankfully, we made it through 2018 without having to add another silhouette, but sadly the issue of domestic violence is very real in our community.”
She continued, “We have about 90 percent of our clients in a domestic violence situation. Statistics
show that it takes between seven to 10 times before a victim will actually walk away. Everyone has their breaking point, but each person is different and has to get to that point in their own time. We are here to offering them resources and let them know they don’t have to stay silent, and they don’t have to live with the abuse.”
Domestic violence is a cycle and often we find that they have been a child of domestic violence and they watched their mother go through it. When it comes to statistics, out of 10 people 75 percent are related to someone, know someone or they themselves are involved in a domestic violence cycle.
“Domestic violence becomes a learned behavior which is why it is a vicious cycle that is hard to break,” Calvio said. “For those wanting to seek help, or who just want to find out more information to help out a friend, we have a website that is acces
sible 24/7/365 at VSOB.ORG,” Calvio said. “We have been serving the Howard County area for 35 years and there are still people who dont’ realize we are here.”
She continued, “Most of the time people don’t find out about us until it’s too late. We invite the community to come out, find out what we offer as far as resources and get equipped just in case you ever need our services or come across someone who does.”
Weekly updates are posted on the Victim Services Facebook page and other resources are available. For more information, call 432-263-3312.