Family
Violence: It Really Hits Home
There are no prison walls so thick,
no confinements so solitary as those created by family violence. It destroys
more lives than heart disease, cancer, automobile accidents or AIDS.
Family
violence has been described as both a national health emergency and the most
pervasive social ill in our society. Its tentacles reach out from the home
into every corner of our land, into our schools, our hospitals, our courts,
our jails, our workplaces. The consequences of family violence affect us all.
"Family
violence" includes the abuse of children and youth, of older persons, of a
partner or of the disabled. It can take a number of forms, including physical
assault and emotional abuse.
Family violence is the most insidious,
widespread disease of our society. It is largely underreported. Whether from
fear, threats, loyalties to children or a host of other complications, it
is estimated that women are abused an average of 35 times before reporting
it. Most authorities believe this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Research
shows that family violence cuts across all levels of society. This problem
knows no boundaries, respects no religious, ethnic, political or income group.
Victims of family abuse are those people in our society who are the most vulnerable
-- children, women, the elderly and the disabled.
In many communities,
a person is more likely to be assaulted in their home by a family member than
on the street by a stranger. For a high percentage of people, their homes
are not functioning as safe havens, and the ideal image of the family is a
myth.
This is the actual opening section of the Muriel
McQueen Fergusson Center for Family Violence Research's Case for Support
-- their fund-raising brochure for the $2.5-million Endowment Campaign. The
campaign was successful. But would they have raised this money if they were
not able to get other people to believe in their cause?
"An outgoing
personality, good organizational skills and exceptional communication
skills are essential to successful fund-raising," says Anne Crocker, former
vice-chair of the Endowment Campaign Board. Without effective communication,
a fund-raising effort will fail. People won't give their money unless
they believe in the goals of the organization.