Nichelle Mitchem

“Why doesn’t the victim just leave?”

 
What barriers does an abused person face when attempting to end a violent relationship? As a long-time advocate for victims of domestic violence, Nichelle Mitchem, recognizes that for some victims the complexity of the legal system and the absence of legal assistance cause them to stay in an abusive relationship. With an understanding of the importance of access to legal information, assistance, and often representation for battered women, Mitchem has sought for much of her career to enhance access to legal services for victims of domestic violence.

Whether serving as an administrator of legal service programs for battered women or as the executive director of a domestic violence agency, Nichelle has been asked to present on: the dynamics of domestic violence, available supportive services, and the legal aspects of domestic violence. “Like shelter and counseling, access to legal information and assistance serve to empower abused persons”, Mitchem says. When discussing domestic violence with varied audiences, participants often pose the question “Why doesn’t the victim just leave?”  Mitchem replies that, “Most victims want to leave and many try to leave. Even under the best of circumstances, leaving a relationship is difficult. Violent relationships are complex, and victims in these relationships are faced with many barriers to leaving including the lack of knowledge of civil as well as criminal protections afforded them under the law and available legal resources. Additionally, sometimes the abusive partner uses intimidation and/or violence to stop the victim from severing the relationship. As a result, victims often fear retaliation for ending the relationship.”

Mitchem asserts that, “Victims often stay because they fear that the abuser will find her and kill/harm her, the children or other family or friends. They stay—hoping the violence will end, because they are financially dependent on the abuser, lack alternative housing, or are trying to keep the family together. They stay hoping change is possible.  It takes strength and determination to survive violence. However, as time goes on, surviving an abusive relationship becomes more difficult.” This fact is particularly true for economically disadvantaged battered women and abused women with disabilities.

With an understanding of the importance of legal information, assistance, and representation for many battered women but particularly indigent, homeless, battered women with disabilities, Mitchem has sought to enhance access to legal services for this particularly vulnerable population.  During her tenure as executive director, domestic violence agencies have launched and/or expanded on legal service programs that assist clients in negotiating legal and other challenges that might arise as they seek to eliminate domestic violence from their lives. These very necessary programs assist survivors of domestic violence to build long term safety and security for themselves and their children.”

For information about available legal services and other programs for victims of domestic violence in your community, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website at www.thehotline.org.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

“Lessons Learned”

 
Violence against women is a pressing public health issue world-wide that has devastating physical and emotional consequences for women, children and families. Women are frequently targets of both physical and sexual assault by their intimate partners. In the United States alone, domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44, more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. (Violence Against Women, A Majority Staff Report,” Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, 102^nd Congress, October 1992, p.3.)  About one in four women are physically or sexually abused at some point in their life, and domestic violence now leads as one of the top three causes of homelessness in America (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000, U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2005).

Research indicates that often victims require access to comprehensive and holistic programs to break the cycle of violence. Unlike many parts of the world-- in the United States, domestic violence programs and services have been available to assist abused women to build long term safety and security for themselves and their children for more than three decades. Recognizing that capturing lessons learned from service provision is key for any programs long-term success, domestic violence advocates have sought to not only to provide services but also to capture, track, analyze, and  disseminate the information gleaned from service provision to local, regional, national, and even international audiences.

Whether serving as a program administrator or as the executive director of a domestic violence agency, Nichelle Mitchem, has been afforded the opportunity to share lessons learned in direct service provision at local, regional, national, and international audiences. The international participants in the lessons learned sessions have included but not been limited to battered women’s advocates from Belarus, China, Japan, and Kazakhstan. In these meetings with battered women’s advocates visiting the United States, Nichelle has often discussed the prevalence of domestic violence, the availability of programs and services for battered women, and lessons learned in direct service provision to battered women and their children.

Research indicates that the pervasive problem of domestic violence takes everyone to make it stop. If you suspect that someone you know is a victim of any form of domestic violence, please talk to him or her, show your support, and encourage the person to seek help from a domestic violence agency. Keep in mind that expressing your concern for their health and well-being will let the person know that you care and may even save his or her life. For information about available programs for victims of domestic violence in your community, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website at www.thehotline.org. Domestic violence can be eradicated with an equal amount of conscience, mind, heart, and collective action.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art