Domestic Violence and Faith Community Responses

In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published data collected in 2005 that finds that women experience two million injuries from intimate partner violence each year..http://www.endabuse.org/content/action_center/detail/754 ...Religious leaders are responsible for ministering to all members of their congregations, including those who may have committed criminal acts. This obligation presents ethical and religious dilemmas when crimes are confessed in confidentiality, especially if the criminal activity is continuing. In these situations, clergy must weigh the importance of respecting privileged communication in relation to the need to protect victims and society from harm. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/chap11.pdf Domestic, dating and sexual violence are costly and pervasive problems in this country, causing victims, as well as witnesses and bystanders, in every community to suffer incalculable pain and loss. In addition to the lives taken and injuries suffered, partner violence shatters the sense of well-being that allows people to thrive. It also can cause health problems that last a lifetime, and diminish children’s prospects in school and in life. Nearly one in four women in the United States reports experiencing violence by a current or former spouse or boyfriend at some point in her life.4 ... Action to eliminate this problem include: teaching the next generation that violence is wrong, training more health care providers to assess patients for abuse, implementing workplace prevention and victim support programs, and making services available to all victims including immigrants and children who witness violence. WEBSITE LINK TO MORE INFO: http://www.endabuse.org/content/action_center/detail/754