​​​​​​​Susan Evans Grove

“No Hitter”, 2021

 

According to the United States department of justice, domestic violence is defined as “a pattern of abusive behaviors in any relationship that are used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner”. While domestic violence crosses all ethnic, socioeconomic and age groups, such violence has a disproportionate effect on communities of color. While 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence (e.g. beating, burning, strangling) by an intimate partner in their lifetime, violence against women has been codified in law and supported by the culture and society. According to the Criminal Justice Institute, in America, “It was not until the 1870s that the first states banned a man's right to beat his family. … By the 1980s most states had adopted legislation regarding domestic violence.” Domestic Violence cannot be addressed without also addressing social factors that leave women and people of color most impacted by it.

 

The current pandemic has worsened the situation in the U.S. For example in the Seattle area, there were 14 domestic violence homicides in 2020 through Oct. 8, equal to the combined total for 2018 and 2019, according to the King County District Attorney’s office. All but one of the 2020 homicides occurred after the governor issued a Covid-19 state of emergency. Domestic-violence hotlines prepared for an increase in demand for services as states enforced stay at home orders, but many organizations experienced the opposite. Experts in the field know that rates of domestic violence incidents have not decreased, but rather that victims were unable to safely connect with services.

In an emergency, victims of domestic violence should call 911 or contact state or local law enforcement officials, who can respond to these crimes. Individuals in need of non-emergency assistance can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or visit www.TheHotline.org.

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"No Hitter" is a 40" x 30" photograph. In baseball a no-hitter is a game in which a pitcher, or pitchers, gives up no hits.