DoVE director Elizabeth Archambault has heard countless stories of domestic violence, but even she took pause, she said, when she watched the eye-opening TED Talk “Why Domestic Violence Victims Don’t Leave.” In the online video, Leslie Morgan Steiner, a well-spoken, Harvard-educated woman, details how she fell into a trap of domestic violence and why she and women like her have a hard time getting out.
If national domestic violence rates can be applied on Vashon — and Archambault believes they can — around 2,000 island women have either experienced some sort of domestic violence or are at danger of being abused. The same is true for a smaller but still surprising number of men. Indeed, a 2010 study commissioned by Vashon Youth & Family Services identified domestic violence as the second most troublesome social issue on Vashon, just behind youth substance abuse.
Most islanders likely know someone who has experienced domestic abuse or could fall victim to it in the future. DoVE, which has existed for two years now, is successfully reaching abuse victims and providing solutions in situations that can seem terrifying, isolating and hopeless. Before DoVE, Archambault said, some victims likely suffered in secret because seeking off-island help was simply too big an obstacle.
As DoVE’s services become more known and more utilized, the organization must also grow its budget to keep up with the demand for its crisis hotline, personal advocates, support groups and other services. With a seemingly tireless fundraiser and grant writer at the helm, we think they’ll make it this year. But we also recognize that in order to keep up, DoVE must develop a solid base of annual supporters, much like bigger organizations such as the schools foundation and Vashon Allied Arts have sought to do. We would hate to see DoVE falter like the Tukwila-based DAWN did in 2009, leaving Vashon victims without local help.
If you’re able to give annually to local nonprofits, consider adding DoVE to your list. Other Vashon programs undoubtedly enrich the island, but by supporting DoVE, you could be coming to a friend or neighbor’s rescue without even knowing it.
If you’re not able to give, help DoVE with your actions. Archaumbalt said one of the biggest obstacles to educating communities on domestic violence is the stigma that still surrounds the topic and the common misconceptions that victims are at fault when they stay in abusive relationships. We suspect that on Vashon there may be smart, strong women and men, just like Leslie Morgan Steiner, who struggle with this complicated issue in private. Discuss this important topic with those you know, and if you ever suspect abuse, have DoVE’s hotline number at the ready.
