By Carol A. Cates, MSN, MBA, RN, NEA-BC
Chief Nursing Officer
Odessa Regional Medical Center
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. Domestic violence affects far more people than I think most people ever realize. Every 32 seconds in this country, someone experiences domestic violence. Four people die every day in this country because of domestic violence. If that frequency happened with stranger violence, accidents, or a disease, it would make headlines every day and be the main campaign platform for every politician. There would be marches on state and federal capitals with demands for action. Yet, for some reason, domestic violence is not talked about or addressed at anything close to those levels.
The statistics are shocking. According to Break the Cycle, an organization dedicated to eliminating domestic violence in the U.S., 1 in 2 women and 2 in 5 men in the U.S. have experienced sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking from an intimate partner in their lifetime. 16 million people annually in the U.S. suffer some form of domestic violence. The statistics in Texas and the Permian Basin aren’t any better. According to the Texas Council on Family Violence. 1 in 3 Texans will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. In 2022, 216 Texans were killed by their intimate partner. Along with those 216 people, the perpetrators killed another 28 friends, family members, or innocent bystanders. Ten of those 28 were children. 37 of those 216 victims were men. In 2022, eleven people here in the Permian Basin died because of domestic violence. Eleven of our neighbors, friends, and loved ones were murdered by someone they loved in a place they should have been safe—in their home, in our community. That is heart breaking.
That is why Domestic Violence Awareness is so very important. Domestic violence can be stopped. But to get there, we need to talk about the very real problem of domestic violence and support measures that break the cycle of abuse in families. The statistics show that awareness makes a huge difference. During COVID, domestic violence became a huge topic of concern, and with that awareness, domestic violence statistics started to improve. The great news is, that trend has continued. In very recently released 2023 data from the Texas Council on Family Violence, between 2022 and 2023, deaths in Texas related to domestic violence dropped by about 5%, and the deaths here in the Basin dropped to just 6! That is still far too many, but it shows that the measures we are taking to stop domestic violence are working.
Here in Odessa and the Permian Basin, we have an incredible resource when it comes to domestic violence. One that provides a safe haven for victims and provides resources and education to domestic partners and families to prevent future occurrences of abuse and to break the often-generational cycle of abuse. That resource is the Crisis Center of West Texas.
I cannot say enough about the Crisis Center. They make such a huge difference for this community. They provide a huge range of services for domestic violence and sexual assault victims. Those services are available to both men and women. Those services include their Louise Wood Angel House emergency shelter, counseling by licensed professional counselors, legal advocacy, case management and prevention education. Their services can be in conjunction with their shelter, and they also provide help to those who do not use the shelter. They provide services whether the person needing help choses to involve law enforcement or not. Their mission is, “To respond, shelter, and educate to end domestic and sexual violence in West Texas. We believe everyone deserves a safe and healthy relationship, and we work every day to make that a reality for men, women, and children in the Permian Basin and beyond.” The team at the Crisis Center lives up to that mission every single day.
If you are the victim of domestic violence, please, please reach out to the Crisis Center. You can reach out to them through their 24/7 hotline at 866-627-4747. You are not alone, and you deserve to be safe. Any of our local emergency departments can also help you get in touch with the Crisis Center. You can also get more information about ways you can help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault by visiting the Crisis Center website.
