More people speaking out about domestic violence

Approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the United States.

The Family Crisis Center in Rexburg reports numbers on clients that reach out to them for assistance each year on a quarterly system. They say they have seen a 56 percent increase of clients.

In 2014 they served 270 victims of domestic abuse, and in 2015 they served 391 victims.

Executive Director of Family Crisis Center, Margie Harris said the community’s response to domestic violence is on the rise.

“That we have served in 2015 compared to the year before has closed to doubled. I don’t think that automatically means that there’s double the amount of incidents that happen but instead it may reflect the number of people that are feeling comfortable reaching out for help or feeling comfortable talking to law enforcement,” Harris said.

Harris also said, more victims and people are coming forward to ask for help from law enforcement and victim agencies.

“The number of people reaching out to law enforcement feeling comfortable talking about the incidents,” Harris said.

Pocatello’s Police Departments Victim Witness Coordinator Becky Rodriguez reports in 2014, there were 309 domestic related incidents felony and/or misdemeanor in which charges were filed.

“I handled 256 of those cases. I contacted or attempted to contact the victim for follow-up in regards to court proceedings etc,” Rodriguez said.

According to Rodriguez in 2015 they responded to 300 domestic related incidents felony and/or misdemeanor in which charges were filed.

This is a 1% decrease from 2014, 269 of the 300 cases were handled by my position in which I contacted or attempted to contact the victim for follow-up in regards to court proceedings etc.

Harris said domestic violence doesn’t have a season, however, some elements can lead to an increase such as a long winter, seasonal depression, the holidays and tax season.

“A lot of those pressures don’t necessarily cause domestic violence but they contribute to the problem and add stress to the families,” Harris said.

The Family Crisis Center holds group therapy sessions every Thursday.

For more information visit www.familycrisiscenter.info.