Walla Walla County asleep in bondage

Stature poor and head sagging low, Chad Davis shamed and shackled stood and testified in court about how he maliciously attacked and threatened his wife with her life last December. His excuse to the judge was that his mind was fogged with a broken heart, a busted ego, and too much alcohol. This is the case for most attackers but though his statement might seem sincere his words are all but true. Approximately, 25% of domestic violence victims, mostly being women, claim to have been assaulted or raped by an intimate partner. 1 This was the case for Laci Davis, Chad Davis’ wife. Laci is only 1 of the 1,000 domestic violence contacts made with the Walla Walla police department every year, 2 and 85% of those were women, making them most at risk.3

Domestic violence ravages through the streets of inter cities and small rural towns, it does not stop with religious families, certain races, sexual orientations, or rich individuals, and it defiantly didn’t stop on its way through Walla Walla valley and College place Washington. Domestic violence comes in all types of personalities and all sorts of faces. When domestic violence rears its ugly head it always shows the same pattern of domineering. It includes sexual, emotional, physical and even economic abuse. All these actions can stem from several feelings but for the majority of cases it is because the man wants to have or gain control of the female in the relationship.

In a national survey, 25% of women reported having been assaulted or raped by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime.4 This percentage suggests that any 1/4 friends of yours could be in an abusive relationship, or it could even you. The majority of women murdered by domestic violence by their partner usually happened during the relationship or in the process of leaving the abusive relationship. This now not only means that the women are being abused or miss treated but as they are trying to leave it becomes almost in possible to do so.

There are many resources available in the Walla Walla community that are primarily free to the public and thus girls or women being attacked by their partner could either call for help or shelter. This issue should not go on unnoticed since having two colleges and many members of the community in between, there is bound to be a large group of women desperate for help. Maybe these women can not go and request help or find help because their partner keeps a close leash on them. The links posted have various resources in the Walla Walla community; you can find the right kind of support that might be needed. Whether you are a male or female there might be some one in need of help and you have help at your finger tips. If you know some one who is struggling in their relationship with their partner, as they are abusive, please contact any of the links provided and they will assist your needs. You never know, you might be saving a life.

Although there are so many resources available there still seems to be a large gap. This could be any number of things. Is there anything that you suggest we could do to improve this community in assisting others who are affected by domestic violence?

1. allagher, Joanne, Margaret Hobart, and Kelly Starr, eds. COVERING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. June-July 2002. Washington State Coilition. 5 May 2007 .

2. "Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault." City of Walla Walla. Police Dept. 2 May 2007 .

3. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

4. allagher, Joanne, Margaret Hobart, and Kelly Starr, eds. COVERING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. June-July 2002. Washington State Coilition. 5 May 2007.

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