If you are observant, you will see something new on the front door of Saint Benedict Education Center: A PurpleOne Dot. This dot indicates that SBEC is an approved and recognized organization that can offer immediate assistance to a victim of domestic violence and a referral to our local domestic violence agency, Safe Journey.
Domestic violence statistics are readily available, yet they never fail to shock us.
---Every 9 seconds in the United States, a woman is assaulted or beaten.
--- Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women aged 15-44, more common than car accidents, muggings, and cancer deaths combined.
---1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes.
---20 people every minute experience physical violence by an intimate partner.
---2574 victims of domestic violence were served in one day in Pennsylvania last year. And 109 victims died.
---It has been estimated that at least 8 million children witness physical and verbal spousal abuse each year, including a range of behaviors from insults and hitting to fatal assaults with guns and knives.
While these statistics offer different numbers and references, they present the same picture – the same reality – which is difficult to grasp. Is there a statistic that best helps you realize the seriousness of the situation? Or is it a personal account you need to hear? Perhaps we all need to listen more carefully to those around us.
St. Benedict’s staff work with a variety of people, mostly women. The fact that these clients deal with many challenges is well known, but not the nature of all those challenges. Given the statistics we can be sure that many of our participants endure domestic violence. We may not be certain of the details. The abused may not even recognize it.
Given all this the staff responded in their traditional way – they accepted the opportunity to become a designated PurpleOne Certified Safe Place for Domestic Violence Victims. This is a significant way to support not only our participants but also Safe Journey. Hopefully, we are helping create a community united against domestic violence.
To become a Safe Place an organization must have at least one employee successfully complete PurpleOne training on domestic violence and bystander intervention. At SBEC nearly the entire staff has already completed the training. Other staff will participate in the final training scheduled later in November.
This intense 4.5-hour training was offered as an interactive webinar. At the conclusion a short test was taken by training participants. Upon successful completion of this a certificate was awarded.
As a Safe Place what does SBEC do? We offer a welcoming, receptive environment. We provide people with information about domestic violence and referrals as needed.
We do not counsel victims or provide advice. The goal is to be a safe space where a victim can seek help and be immediately and easily connected to the resources they urgently need.
What of Safe Journey: Domestic and Dating Violence Services?
Safe Journey has provided both direct and support services and outreach to victims/survivors, family members, children, and the public in rural and urban Erie County for the past 40 years. Services include: Counseling; legal; supportive, including emergency shelter; prevention and education.
Safe Journey offers services not only for victims, but also for family members, friends, and others who may have concerns related to domestic violence. They provide services for the elderly, adult children of family violence, people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community. Services provided are not only for crisis situations but also for those currently living in domestic violence, or those who have experienced it in the past.
To increase awareness of domestic violence, Safe Journey provides educational presentations for all types of community groups, as well as comprehensive domestic violence prevention programs for youth in area schools.
If you or someone you know needs help, a 24-hr. hotline is available. All services are free and confidential. Call 814.438.2675.
We at Saint Benedict Education Center are proud of our efforts, in joining with Safe Journey, to help create a community united against domestic violence.
Will you join us? See slides below. Source: Safe Journey
