Domestic Violence and Community Development:
Exploring the Intersections
In 1998, Aimee Thompson began visiting civic association meetings in Boston, Massachusetts where city police officers presented reports about local domestic violence. She expected "that when people heard this information, there would be a lively discussion – that people would really want to do something about domestic violence – because that is the response when people are talking about issues like street lights and potholes," she said.
Instead, "I was met with silence. It's such a hard issue to talk about. There is a lot of shame related to this issue. It really makes people uncomfortable and afraid because they aren't quite sure what to do."
Despite efforts to address domestic violence by police, criminal justice and social service agencies, on average more than three women are murdered every day in the United States by their husbands or boyfriends, 1 and nearly one-third of U.S. women (31 percent) report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives. 2 Around the world, at least one in every three women has been abused or coerced into sex during her lifetime. 3
Go to the Changemakers Library for selected Internet resources about Challenging Domestic Violence at Its Roots
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Inside . . .
Top Four
Case Studies of Initiatives to Curb Domestic Violence. These grew out of the
online discussion:
Domestic Violence &
Community Development
Understanding What Social Entrepreneurs Do:
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