Domestic Violence Awareness by ‘Walking in Her Shoes’
Ruth Guerreiro, a member of the Crimes Against Women Conference advisory board, said about 3,000 professionals attended the conference to learn more about crimes against women and how to support victims.
“The majority of victims of domestic violence are women and most perpetrators are men,” Guerreiro said. “Some men also experience domestic violence, particularly from their male partners.”
Guerreiro, clinical director of Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support, noted that discussions about domestic violence often remain the same, with the focus being on immediate support and assistance to victims and on physical, sexual, financial and emotional.
“There are many ways abusers use money to control their victims,” she explained. “They might threaten, ‘If you spend that much money, I’ll do X, Y, Z,’ or say, ‘If you tell anyone I mistreated you, I won’t give you child support .”
Guerreiro said women with children by their abuser may feel trapped by ongoing relationships such as graduations and marriages.
“But that doesn’t mean she has to suffer forever. She can find healing through counseling, trauma treatment and safety planning,” Guerreiro said. “She can learn to recognize and respond to abuse without getting caught in the cycle of violence.”
Guerreiro stressed the need for more research into spiritual abuse, a form of emotional abuse in which abusers use religion to control and shame their victims.
“An abuser might prevent her from going to church alone or force her to pray out loud for forgiveness after being beaten,” she said. “Some use religious doctrines to justify their control by saying, ‘I am the head of the family and you must obey me.'”
Navigating the system can be frustrating for victims, Guerreiro added.
“At Genesis, we know that a victim may need to go to multiple places to get different services: counseling with us, a CPS appointment, then an appointment for housing,” she said. explain.
Guerreiro demonstrated to Texas an exercise called “In His Shoes,” developed in Washington, to illustrate the cyclical journey of a victim. This exercise, used by professionals who work with victims of domestic violence, aims to develop empathy.
Participants move between boards listing services and choices the victim may face, each with a character and scenario of events. “Tasha“, an African-American lawyer, falls in love with Curtis, who later attacks her. Throughout, Tasha struggles between seeking help and staying with Curtis, reflecting the complex and often frustrating reality of many victims.
Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support offers free 24/7 support in English and Spanish. Victims can also seek help from other organizations in North Texas.
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