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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Programs Target Domestic Abuse

At Sacred Heart Medical Center, domestic violence is not viewed merely as a dangerous emotional and physical problem. It’s considered a sin.

The medical center’s Domestic Violence Task Force, which has won national awards for its innovative work, says this about its domestic violence policies: “(They) are in agreement with guidelines issued by the American Conference of Catholic Bishops and are based on the belief that violence in any form - physical, sexual, psychological or verbal - is sinful; many times it is a crime as well.”

Last week, a disturbing Justice Department report showed that domestic violence is underreported everywhere. Of the 1.4 million people who suffered injuries during violence, 17 percent were injured by someone with whom they have had an intimate relationship. The report also said that emergency room personnel are in a unique position to help victims of domestic violence. The report was troubling because our homes are now becoming less safe than our streets.

The good news, though, is that progressive domestic violence prevention programs are flourishing in the Inland Northwest. Sacred Heart’s program is one example, but the area’s other hospitals, including Deaconess Medical Center and Valley Hospital, also offer extensive prevention education for employees. In Coeur d’Alene, The Women’s Center sponsors the hospital advocate program. If a woman is admitted to the hospital as a suspected domestic violence victim, the advocate sees the victim, offering information and referrals. All the medical centers are tied in with the Spokane County Domestic Violence Consortium, which sponsors education programs and training in the community. The consortium just won a grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that will be used for an extensive community education program and evaluation of current anti-domestic violence programs.

All this doesn’t make life easier for women and men being battered in the home and living the secret. But it does mean that if that abuse becomes more public, victims no longer feel so alone.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Rebecca Nappi/For the editorial board