solutions

Opinion: California Has a Chance to Lead the Nation in Ending Domestic Violence

Our governor could take two steps right now that would bring together the committed players in domestic violence prevention, help identify and fill in gaps in support, and put the state even further along the road to meaningful leadership in preventing intimate partner violence. 

In California, 58 percent of adult residents have been impacted by domestic violence directly or through a close friend or relative.

Cat Brooks, executive director of Justice Teams Network, a coalition of organizations dedicated to eradicating state violence, sits outside her home in Oakland, Calif. At 19, Brooks was severely beaten by her husband but when the police intervened, Brooks was taken to jail rather than her husband. Martin do Nascimento / Resolve Magazine

Alternatives to Calling the Police for Domestic Violence Survivors

If involving the police and criminal justice system isn’t a safe, reliable option for most survivors, why is it offered as the main pathway for seeking help? A majority of survivors who called the police on their abusers later concluded that police involvement was unhelpful at best, and at worst made them feel less safe.

The conversation has gained new urgency amidst the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and calls to reevaluate the scope of police funding and responsibilities.

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