State funding crucial for domestic violence, sexual assault services

By Michael Shaw

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The heavy emotional and financial costs associated with domestic violence and sexual assault are creating an unbearable burden for victims and communities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey released in December, 2011, reports that about 1 in 3 women have been sexually assaulted by an intimate partner. Other studies have shown that sexual violence is the most costly of all crimes to its victims, with total estimated costs over $127 billion a year.

Sexual violence has a negative impact on educational attainment, job performance, and earnings. Fifty percent of sexual violence victims had to quit or were forced to leave their jobs in the year following their assaults because of the severity of their reactions.

This violence is devastating our families and our communities. Yet, funding and services continue to be cut. The federal and state governments are making decisions right now and we need to pay attention.

The Federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was ground breaking federal legislation when it was passed in 1995. The legislation funded supportive services, prevention initiatives and research, and promoted collaborations between multiple systems. Since VAWA was first passed, the number of individuals killed by an intimate partner has decreased by 34 percent for women and 57 percent for men.

Reauthorization of VAWA is being debated in Congress. S. 1925 does not increase spending; rather it encourages greater fiscal responsibility and ensures that the legislation will serve all victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

In Iowa this year, Gov. Terry Branstad has proposed flat funding for domestic violence and sexual assault services while the Iowa House proposed a 10 percent cut. In the last two years, Iowa's domestic violence and sexual assault programs received cuts of 6 percent and 10 percent. This downward trend has negatively impacted services to victims across the state.

Since 1995, nine domestic violence and sexual assault programs in Iowa have closed or merged because of lack of funding, mostly in rural areas where these services are desperately needed.

In 2011, Waypoint Services served more than 1,770 victims of violence In Linn, Benton and Jones counties. The biggest challenge for Waypoint has been sustaining services in Jones and Benton where we have offices staffed by a single Waypoint advocate who travels between the two counties. The need in rural counties to provide expanded services to victims of domestic and sexual violence is critical. Distance and isolation create even greater risk for victims in terms of safety and support.

Our community has always been committed to supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. It is time to turn around funding trends that negatively impact victims. It is time to support cost effective, life saving policies. It is time to challenge our state and federal legislators to prioritize services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Contact your federal and state legislators today and tell them to stop the downward funding trend and provide adequate state funding for domestic violence and sexual assault services and to support the VAWA reauthorization.

Michael Shaw is the co-director of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault services at Waypoint Services in Cedar Rapids. Comments: michael@waypointservices.org