Portland shelter gives resources, education on domestic violence after recent spike
After a recent spike in incidents stemming from domestic violence, a local shelter is offering ways to recognize the signs and resources available to survivors.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- After a recent spike in incidents stemming from domestic violence, a local shelter is offering ways to recognize the signs and resources available to survivors.
The Raphael House of Portland is an organization which has helped survivors of domestic violence since 1977 with advocacy, education, community outreach, and overall, by providing a safety net for survivors.
Also called intimate partner violence, domestic violence is defined by the U.S. Department of Justice as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship used by one partner to gain or maintain power over another intimate partner. The abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional, psychological or other types of actions or threats that negatively influence another person within an intimate partner relationship.
"Domestic violence is a behavior of control," said Emmy Ritter, Executive Director of Raphael House. "So using coercion, threats, violence, emotional abuse. And over 90% of intimate partner violence situations are financial abuse as well."
When asked how someone could recognize potential signs of domestic violence from the outside, Ritter told KOIN 6 News they are not entirely limited to overt physical or emotional abuse that may happen behind closed doors.
"It doesn't look like locking them in a basement," she said. "What it looks like is keeping them away from friends and family and making it inconvenient for those friends and family to be in contact with them also. So isolation is a very early sign."
Ritter added another likely sign involves someone questioning themselves constantly, due to microaggressions stemming from emotional abuse.
As far as how members of the public can help survivors of domestic violence, Ritter noted Raphael House and similar organizations rely on donations, volunteers and "a recognition that we are all working really hard to keep our community safe together."
If you or someone you know needs help, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
You can also click here for information on a variety of local and national resources provided by Raphael House.