Domestic violence is a serious crime that has significant consequences for its victims and the Milwaukee community. According to a study by the National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.5 million women are either raped or physically assaulted by their partners each year. In addition, each year, more than 10 million American children witness family violence in their homes. Forty percent of girls age 14 to 17 know someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend.
Females who have survived physical and sexual abuse by an intimate partner typically experience a lifetime of violent relationships and are subject to a range of trauma-related consequences. They face isolation from family and community networks, drug and alcohol addiction, and a lack of basic life skills from employment to parenting. Although treatment for this type of trauma should address the full range of these issues, community service agencies are often ill-prepared to deal with the depth of problems associated with victims of domestic violence, including low self-esteem, feelings of uselessness and powerlessness, manipulation by the abusive partner and an inability to effectively parent their children.