Tackling Domestic Violence

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and several groups in our area are working to help women in need.

According to the American Institute on Domestic Violence, more than 85 percent of all domestic violence victims are women, more than 1,200 women are killed each year by an intimate partner, and about 5 million women are abused each year.

The Haven House Family Shelter and the Church of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Women invited three candidates running for justice court judge in Warren County to talk about domestic violence laws.  It was all part of a special forum dedicated to raising awareness. 

Among the group of mostly women who listened to the candidates was Scottie Kiihnl, executive director of the Haven House Family Shelter, which provides support for victims of domestic abuse.

“There are many times when people outside a relationship will not see signs of abuse,“ she said. 

Kiihnl says abuse is not always physical, but can also be verbal and financial.

“Another thing you may see is a tendency in the relationship for the abusing partner to use put downs, humiliation.“

Experts say victims of domestic abuse should record the abuse with a camera and diary - evidence for the police.  Domestic violence penetrates all levels of society and affects all kinds of relationships, but Kiihnl and others say the most important thing to remember is there are resources for support.

For Help Call:
Haven House Family Shelter
(601) 638-0555
1-800-898-0860
To read more about the shelter, click here

Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence
(601) 981-9196
1-800-898-3234
To read more, click here