| OCTOBER IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH
Domestic violence is the most frequently committed crime in Calhoun and most West Virginia counties.
Because of the social stigma and privacy laws, domestic violence incidents often remain hidden from the publics attention.
It is an "elephant in the living room" problem that is impossible to overlook, threatening the fabric of relationships. Victims often feel guilty when its' reported, and frequently submit to a cycle of abuse.
In West Virginia, one person dies every 13 days
in a domestic violence related death.
Domestic violence related incidents generate the highest number of calls received by Calhoun's 911 center.
Lori Fleagle, who heads Calhoun's Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART), says about 300 domestic violence cases are reported to her agency every year, an average over 14 years.
The local agency has filed 34 domestic violence petitions so far this year, with 238 clients of all ages, and both sexes.
So far this year, the agency has had 238 clients, with 11 finding it necessary to seek out-of-residence shelter.
A recent WV study shows that women in the Mountain State are more likely to be victims of violent-related homicide, while the men who commit the violent acts are more likely to kill themselves afterward.
The study is reviewing 39 domestic homicides, with the state ranking near the top in the nation when it comes to the number of domestic violence deaths per capita.
"There is much to be done with public education," Fleagle said, helping the abused and the abuser to get help.
A current awareness campaign is called, "Light the Way to Peace," which includes the placement of purple lights in the Calhoun courthouse windows and tying purple ribbons on parking meters.
The Domestic Violence Proclamation says, "The crime of domestic violence violates an individual's privacy and dignity, security and humanity, due to systematic use of physical, emotional, sexual, psychological and economic control, including the abuse of children and the elderly.
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