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One in three teens (30%) say they are text messaged 10, 20, 30 times an hour by a partner inquiring where they are, what they're doing, or who they're with.
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Do I have to come into shelter in order to receive services from Hubbard House?
No. Hubbard House offers an extensive outreach program that includes counseling, support groups, court advocacy...
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Legal Definition
Florida Statute - 741.28
"Domestic violence" means any assault, aggravated assault, battery, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment, or any criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death of one
family or household member by another family or household member.
"Family or household member" means spouses, former spouses, persons related by blood or marriage, persons who are presently residing together as if a family or who have resided together in the past as if a family, and persons who are parents of a child in common regardless of whether they have been married. With the exception of persons who have a child in common, the family or household members must be currently residing or have in the past resided together in the same single dwelling unit.
Jacksonville Domestic Violence Statistics (JSO reporting)
January 1, 2006 – December 31, 2006
Victims and Suspects (Includes all domestic violence victims)
Total Victims 7962 Total Victims
Total Reports 7259 Total Reports
Victim Demographics
| Age | Victim | Suspect |
| 5-19 | 787 | 543 |
| 20-24 | 1367 | 1189 |
| 25-29 | 1430 | 1547 |
| 30-34 | 1049 | 1115 |
| 35-39 | 912 | 1009 |
| 40-44 | 827 | 879 |
| 45-49 | 688 | 708 |
| 50-54 | 426 | 419 |
| 55-59 | 238 | 206 |
| 60 + | 207 | 173 |
| Victim Race | Suspect Race |
| White – 3741 | White – 3368 |
| Black –4135 | Black – 4366 |
| Other – 75 | Other – 76 |
Unknown – 11
| Unknown – 12
|
Hubbard House Stats Fiscal Year 2006-2007
4,190 -Hotline calls received
26,097 - Counseling hours provided (Shelter and Outreach)
25,075 - Days of shelter
916 - Clients sheltered
451 - Children under 18
457 - Women
8 - Men
Why Victims Stay
- May love his/her abuser since the abuser may be more often loving than abusive.
- May fear abuser will carry out on threats to kill her or the children. (Male victims rarely express fear for their life)
- May fear losing custody of his/her children.
- Probably suffers from low self-esteem because of perpetrators abuse and feels like a failure for not being able to stop it.
- May feel that the abuse is deserved or it is his/her fault.
- May have cultural or religious beliefs that keep him/her in the relationship.
- May feel that the children need the other parent; or he/she is incapable of raising them as a single parent.
- May believe that he/she cannot survive emotionally without partner and fears being alone.
- May be financially dependent on partner and lacking in job skills.
- May be so exhausted from dealing with the abuse on a daily basis that he/she is unable to make major decisions or changes.
Characteristics of the Abuser (By themselves not necessarily indicative but in combination with others)
Jealousy
Controlling Behavior
Whirl-Wind Romance
Unrealistic Expectation
Isolation
Blames Others for Problems and Feelings
Easily Intimidated
Cruelty to Animals
“Playful” Use of Force in Sex
Verbally Abusive
Rigid Gender Roles
Past Battering
Threats of Violence
Breaking or Striking Objects
Signs of Domestic Violence
- Central pattern of injuries or multiple injuries (especially to head, face, chest, abdomen and genital areas)
- Evidence of strangulation (neck pain, sore throat, scratch marks, tiny red spots, red eyes, ears ringing, nausea, light headedness, raspy voice)
- Injuries that are inconsistent with the patient’s account
- Multiple injuries in various stages of healing
- Delay between the onset of the injury and treatment
What You Can Do
Victim
- Remain non-judgmental & non-confrontational
- Validate feelings and remind them the abuse is not their fault
- Always give the victim the right to decide what is best for them even if you don’t agree with their decision
- Show concern and support. Be patient and don’t push them.
- Ensure that the information shared will be kept in the strictest of confidence.
- Don’t ask questions that appear to blame the victim for the abuse.
- Are you a victim of domestic violence?
- What did you do to provoke the attack?
- What were you doing right before you were attacked?
- Why haven’t you left?
- Why do you keep going back?
Abuser (if the person is known to you)
Don’t:
- Be taken in by excuses
- Assume it won’t happen again
- Suggest couples, marital or family counseling
- Put yourself at risk for physical harm
Do:
- Hold abuser accountable
- Maintain confidentiality if possible
- Express how you feel about what you see
- Remind them domestic violence is a crime