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LISBON -- Reach out to someone, reach out if being abused, beaten and isolated from friends and family.
That's the advice a domestic violence survivor offered to others who may be experiencing the trauma she endured before finally getting the courage to stop putting up with the violence.
"He almost took me from my children. That is not love," she said.
The woman whose name we're not releasing as a protective measure spoke during the Christina House Domestic Violence Program and Take Back the Night Walk, sharing the painful details about what happened to her.
The relationship didn't start out that way, but drug addiction spun out of control and she ended up bearing the brunt of her abuser's rage. The abuse started with arguments, then control, checking her phone messages and emails, not allowing her to go anywhere without him, cutting her off from others.
The first physical attack went on for hours and ended with a trip to the hospital, the next month it happened again, then again the following month. A few months later, the violence happened again.
"I had every mindset that I was going to die," she said.
Something clicked in her head that she was done with him and she never looked back. She involved the police, got a protection order and changed her cell phone number. Every day she said she's getting stronger, she's in counseling and she wouldn't be at this point if it wasn't for the staff of the prosecutor's office.
The theme of this year's National Domestic Violence Awareness Month is #Every1KnowsSome1 because everyone knows someone impacted by domestic violence. Christina House Program Manager Deborah Chaffin spoke about the history of Take Back the Night programs and about the Christina House program, which is in its 26th year and is a program of Catholic Charities Regional Agency.
"This month is a time to mourn those who have died because of domestic violence, celebrate those who can now say they are survivors and no longer victims and it is also a time to say 'thank you' to those who work to end the violence," she said.
In 2023 through September, the Christina House has sheltered 29 women and children and had 1,329 crisis calls and referrals. The legal advocate, Elaine Kloss, saw 550 people so far this year and obtained 201 protection orders. The program has reached out to more than 1,523 people through outreach events.
According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, Chaffin said one in three women, one in four men and nearly half of LGBTQ plus people will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.
Columbiana County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Jen Tucker, who was filling in for Sheriff Brian McLaughlin as a speaker, said the sheriff's office handled 391 domestic violence calls last year and already this year, the number is up to 252.
She shared statistics for Ohio from the Ohio Domestic Violence Network for the time period July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022: 112 fatalities in 72 cases, 81 deceased victims and 31 deceased perpetrators (62 female fatalities and 50 male fatalities, youngest victim a 1-day-old baby, oldest victim a 90-year-old woman, 35 percent of cases involved children at the scene, 91 percent of fatalities involved death by guns, 22 cases involved a homicide and suicide, 82.4 percent of the homicides were committed at home, 25.6 percent of cases involved victims who previously reported a domestic violence incident to police, six cases required a special response team from law enforcement, and in 19 percent of the fatalities, the victim of intimate partner violence had ended the relationship or was in the process of ending it.
Tucker attributed the numbers in the county to people not getting the mental health programming they need. Kloss agreed about the need for more mental health programming. She said 50 percent of the domestic relations cases at the courthouse involve protection orders, which she said is "the highest we've ever had."
During the program, county Commissioner Roy Paparodis read from the proclamation approved by commissioners in September to designate October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the county, urging "all citizens to learn more about prevention of domestic violence and to show support of organizations and individuals who provide critical advocacy, services and assistance to victims."
Looking around the room which included victim advocates, Christina House staff members and volunteers, representatives from the county Prosecutor's office and law enforcement, Paparodis thanked all for what they do in the county.
The Christina House Domestic Violence Program offers help through a 24-hour information and referral line, emergency shelter, case management and legal advocacy. The hotline and the Christina House can be reached at 330-420-0036. The legal advocate can be reached at 330-420-0845.
mgreier@mojonews.com