A SURVEY SHOWED ONE IN FIVE WORKING AMERICANS IS A VICTIM OF PARTNER VIOLENCE.

A survey showed one in five working Americans is a victim of partner violence.
By KANTELE FRANKO
VINDICATOR staff writer
YOUNGSTOWN -- Domestic violence is a continuing problem in Youngstown, and the stresses of economic instability and financial uncertainty for many residents of the Mahoning Valley often worsen the problem, according to the city police department's Crisis Intervention Unit.
In Youngstown, about 40 percent of reported domestic violence victims are employed, and many of them are referred by co-workers or employers, said Cynthia Carter, the unit's social worker. She added that some victims try to hide crimes against them because their employers do not tolerate personal problems.
Preventing the latter situation is the goal of the Mahoning Valley's Tri-County Family Violence Prevention Coalition, which helps companies develop policies to deal with domestic violence and coordinates presentations about the effects domestic violence can have in the workplace. The coalition is funded through a grant from Anthem Foundation of Ohio, which supports preventive health care initiatives in the state.
The coalition trains employers to notice the signs of domestic violence, such as a lack of focus and increased absenteeism, and encourages company leaders in the Mahoning Valley to break the stigma many domestic violence victims face at work.
Domestic or family violence includes partner relationships, parent-child violence and violence against the elderly.
"We have to recognize that 'what happens in the home, stays in the home' used to be the premise," project coordinator Dorothy Kane said. "We realize that what happens in the home doesn't stay in the home, and there are costs to the employer."
Companies suffer losses because employees victimized by domestic violence often are unfocused and less productive, Kane said, adding that the situation also can pose liabilities if a pursuer attempts to harm an employee at work, thereby threatening the safety of other employees.
Survey findings
A national survey of 1,200 adults found that one in five working Americans had been a victim of intimate partner violence, and of that group, nearly two-thirds reported their ability to work was "significantly" or "somewhat" affected.
Verizon Wireless sponsored the survey, which was commissioned by the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, a nonprofit organization of businesses working to prevent partner violence.
Of those who reported being a victim, 57 percent said they were distracted, 45 percent reported a fear of discovery and 40 percent said they were harassed at work. About 31 percent said their employers offered no help or support.
Twenty-three percent of victims were offered access to counseling and assistance by their employers, with 18 percent receiving information and referrals to domestic-violence programs, and only 12 percent of employers provided security for employee victims, according to the survey.
The coalition's list of partners primarily includes local social services agencies and health care organizations, but Kane said she is working with the Regional Chamber to reach other types of businesses and encourage domestic-violence education.
"Our message is that family violence is preventable," Kane said. "By ignoring family violence, we're actually tolerating it."