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Constable Bruce Elfant
Notebook Archives
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Constable's Notebook - June 2008
Last summer while conducting research for a column about family violence I was
surprised to learn that while Travis County has many governmental and social services
agencies providing assistance to victims of family violence, no single source of
information existed to help victims understand options that were available to them.
Travis County was one of the first communities in the nation to require an arrest if
probable cause exists that domestic violence has occurred, mandate counseling as a
condition of personal bond, establish a domestic violence court, and create a family
protection team comprised of law enforcement, prosecutors and counselors. But for all
we have accomplished to initiate effective domestic violence prevention programs, we
have not been as effective in providing information about available services.
My office has created a user friendly, web-based Domestic Violence Resource Center at
Constable5.com which includes contact information for all Travis County area governmental
and social domestic violence related services. The Domestic Violence Resource Center
also features 21 informative videos in English and Spanish that describe how to get
confidential help, obtain legal assistance, apply for protective orders, understand
counseling and shelter options, and recognize the warning signs of teen dating abuse.
Convincing victims of domestic violence to seek help is often frustrating. Twenty years
ago when I first became involved with domestic violence issues, fewer than 10% of victims
were willing to pursue charges even after having called 911 for assistance. Some victims
believe that the violence will not get worse. Many victims are financially supported by
their spouses or partners and must figure out where to go and how to support themselves
and their children. The fact is that most occurrences of domestic violence begin with
non-physical but controlling behavior, and over time often escalates to physical abuse.
In Texas alone, more than 140 victims of domestic violence were killed last year.
It is our hope that the Domestic Violence Resource Center will be used by victims as well as their family and friends to help them understand that
abusive behavior is not acceptable. Confidential help is readily available in Travis County
and only takes a phone call.
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