Women’s Center Stats

Shock Selectmen

By John Voket

Selectmen got a glimpse this week at what may be one of Newtown’s shameful secrets. Cases of reported domestic violence and sexual assaults are on the rise.

During a routine budget workshop Tuesday evening, while selectmen were reviewing requests for allocations to local and regional social services and nonprofit agencies, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal read a letter of appeal for funds from the Women’s Center of Greater Danbury.

“This can’t be right,” Mr Rosenthal commented as he began reviewing the memo from Women’s Center Director Patricia Zachman. “It says they want to increase their request by $750 because their services to Newtown residents have tripled in the past year!”

Mr Rosenthal went on to read that in the last reported year, 2003-2004, the crisis intervention, sexual, and domestic violence support agency was enlisted by, or provided services to, 1,824 Newtown residents.

“It says that Newtown cases now represent ten percent of their total caseloads.”

While the statistic may seem unbelievable, it is accurate according to Ms Zachman, who spoke to The Bee Wednesday.

“Our Newtown outreach has increased from 409 to 1,824 in one year,” Ms Zachman said.

She acknowledged that the organization’s resource service program, which provides self-esteem training and other community educational services to Newtown organizations including the school system, did service 613 residents; the balance of the 1,211 cases represent individual domestic violence or sexual assault contacts or referrals.

Upon hearing the figures Tuesday night, Selectman Joseph Bojnowski appeared shocked.

“In view of this tremendous increase in services [provided to Newtown residents], we should not cut this request,” he said before moving to fund the agency’s request for $7,000, which was up from $6,250 the previous year.

Ms Zachman said that town leaders should be shocked, but although the number of serious cases seems high, it is unfortunately representative of many of the suburban towns in her agency’s jurisdiction.

“It’s good that your selectmen are becoming aware of the problem. I wish it wasn’t the case, but I have to say that the trends are similar in a lot of our bedroom communities,” Ms Zachman said.

She said her agency has been working recently on activities and programs to help communities and especially younger residents and students to be more proactive in identifying and preventing violence and sexual assaults.

“We have been going out to all the health classes at the high school to help students identify healthy relationships, about the risks of date rape, sexual harassment, and other concerns,” she said. “We try to provide them with the tools necessary to identify red flag situations, and when a dating partner might be exhibiting problem characteristics like early power and control behavior.”

The Women’s Center maintains two 24-hour hotlines, one each for domestic and sexual assault crises. When a call comes in, even if it is in the middle of the night, Ms Zachman said her on-call professionals are connected with the caller within 20 minutes of first contact.

“If it’s a sexual assault, and the person is in need of immediate assistance, we go to them or contact police,” she said. “If it’s one of the area hospitals calling with a victim, we dispatch our support representative whether the victim wants them there or not.”

She said that no matter what the victim’s condition is, her representatives make contact to let her know that a wide range of assistance is available.

“We can provide immediate emotional support, safety planning, ongoing individual or group support, counseling, and even system advocacy,” Ms Zachman said.

In domestic or family violence situations, the Women’s Center acts as a liaison between the victim or victims and the police or hospital.

“We can offer emergency shelter, help with registering children into schools in the communities where we maintain safe houses, assistance with the Department of Children and Families, when necessary, even housing and help with tapping into work benefits,” she said. “Anything we can do to help a victim rebuild their life free from violence.”

In addition, in cases warranting extra assistance, her agency can provide support for victims presenting with mental health or addiction issues.

“In those cases we coordinate other auxiliary services,” she said.

Although the majority of each community’s allocation to the Women’s Center goes to crisis intervention and support, part of the funds are also used for community outreach, education, and training for volunteers.

“We do whatever we can to get as many volunteers trained in our service area as possible,” Ms Zachman said. “People shouldn’t have to suffer in silence, whether they are living in a large urban setting, or a bedroom community like Newtown.”

The Women’s Center 24-hour hotline is available for anyone in need at 731-5206.