Alcohol.

Monday, August 21, 2000

Alcohol. Job loss. Bar fights. Neighbor disputes. Boyfriend/girlfriend battles.

Those are the most common reasons for victim crime throughout the county on a daily basis, said Abbie Franks, director of the Lawrence County Crime Victim Assistance Program.

"Anybody who harms, or, attempts to harm or threats to harm someone is involved in domestic violence," Ms. Franks said. "Any activity that makes a live-in partner feel that he/she may be harmed is considered domestic violence."

While the county prosecutor’s office sees a variety of crimes such as assault, robbery, breaking and entering and sexual assault, domestic violence is the most common victim crime in the county, she said.

"Of the many cases we see, there are higher numbers of domestic violence cases related to alcoholism when there are job losses in the area," Franks said. "We have approximately 500 cases of domestic violence per year. Domestic violence is our biggest victim crime."

She said the agency has seen a slight increase in the number of cases that have been allegedly triggered by job losses.

"Many will say their situation is job-related or money-related," she said. "Job loss is typically not directly related to all cases of domestic violence. In many situations, I think a larger population contributes to the situation. In fact, about 50 percent of the domestic violence cases are alcohol-related. This type of crime follows a consistent pattern."

She said most complaints of domestic violence are filed by women.

"In most situations, a lot of women have a man in the house who provides for them and many are intimidated by that," she said. "Many cases have children who are involved. That tends to make women more vulnerable. However, we have had four cases of domestic violence in which males were claiming domestic violence."

Any person whose rights are violated by being harmed or threatened can seek help, she added.

"There are a number of actions taken in any case of victim crime," Ms. Franks said. "The courts will decide whether the offense is a misdemeanor or felony. It greatly depends on the amount of injury involved. It also depends on any prior convictions that may exist. We do have some cases in which the charges are dismissed because the victim has asked the prosecutor’s office to do so."

Once a sentence has been determined, counseling is ordered by the courts, she said.

"Regardless of whether the case is dismissed or an actual charge is determined, the court will always require counseling to both the victim and offender," she said. "The offender is often required to undergo anger management counseling. If they are convicted of a felony, they go through the counseling and intensive supervision. For the victim, we have the domestic violence shelter that provides food, shelter, and support for them. In any case, we want to ensure the victim has the opportunity to exercise their rights. We want to help them heal from the crime."

For more information about the Lawrence County Crime Victim Assistance Program, call 533-4360.