|
Abstract
|
Stories of gun violence are ubiquitous in the United States. An article in The New Yorker in June, 2016, regarding mass shootings, terrorism, and a possible connection to domestic violence caught my attention and led me to review current research on this topic, culminating in this brief analysis.
By way of background, and full disclosure, I am a managing attorney with Delaware's oldest and largest civil legal services program, Community Legal Aid society, Inc., where my colleagues and I represent victims of domestic violence in obtaining orders of protection. I also hold a Masters and PhD in social work and so bring an academic and research-based framework to the challenges confronting our clients.
In the low income communities we serve, domestic violence can often have a more severe and wide-reaching impact due to the intersection of a multitude of societal challenges and the lack of resources facing this population. Domestic violence has often been referred to as domestic terrorism because domestic violence and terrorism are similar--both rely on the use of violence and intimidation to obtain certain objectives, and the threat of gun violence is employed frequently.
Given the increase in gun violence throughout American society, it is more important than ever to provide free legal services to individuals in poverty who find themselves in dangerous domestic situations. I have heard many stories from clients who had been emotionally and physically abused during the time that they were with their partners. Most of them experienced being isolated by their abuser from family and friends, as well as being denied access to joint economic resources. Although men can be victims of domestic abuse in both same-sex and heterosexual relationships, statistically, many more women suffer domestic abuse than men and are more seriously injured by their abusers.
Language: en |