The BDN Editorial Board operates independently from the newsroom, and does not set policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TTY 1-800-437-1220. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.
The general public in Maine and New Hampshire witnessed a brutal reminder about domestic violence in our communities at the end of August. A mother and son were tragically shot and killed, allegedly by their husband and father, who was then shot and killed by police on the Piscataqua River Bridge.
This horrific family violence happened, at least in part, in a very public place and in an attention-grabbing way. But sadly, infuriatingly, it is but one public-facing example of an often private scourge in our communities. Every day, people are facing domestic abuse from the very family members and partners who should be loving and supporting them.
The occasional headlines may capture our attention momentarily, but the prevalence of this heinous abuse deserves our attention and action every day.
According to a recent report from the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, the volume of calls to Maine domestic violence resource centers jumped 10 percent from 2022 to 2023. The more than 15,000 calls in 2023 were the most ever.
“What I know is that domestic violence and abuse is a plague in our state and there are thousands and thousands of people who need our help,” Francine Garland Stark, the coalition’s executive director, told TV station WVII.
“The cases that have been coming to us are not only more, but the level of violence and severity has also been increasing,” Rebecca Austin, the executive director of non-profit organization Safe Voices, told News Center Maine recently. Safe Voices provides support services to victims of domestic violence, sex trafficking and exploitation in Androscoggin, Oxford, and Franklin counties.
These perspectives, and the sheer number of people needing help as reflected by call volumes, should leave little doubt that Maine has much work to do in order to better support victims of abuse — and better support the organizations and individuals working to help them every day.
As demonstrated in a December 2023 report from the Maine Domestic Abuse Homicide Review Panel, a key element to intervening and preventing this horrible type of violence is for people to be aware that help is available, and to know how to access it. This does not just apply to victims themselves, who may face a long list of barriers to reaching out when dealing with abuse. Family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors or others who witness or suspect abuse should familiarize themselves with the available resources, too.
“Community-based advocacy organizations provide a range of services for people experiencing domestic abuse. Some of these services include: 24-hour helpline, individualized safety planning, legal assistance, court advocacy, supportive shelter and housing, support groups, and other assistance,” the report from last December outlines. “Anyone who knows someone experiencing domestic abuse can also call for support.”
The panel that developed the December report stressed that helplines and community-based advocacy organizations are not solely for the victims themselves, and that people looking to support victims can also access help and guidance through those avenues.
“Asking questions is an effective approach to support, and potentially increase safety for, someone you are concerned may be experiencing abuse from a current or former intimate partner or family member,” the 2023 report continues. “Having a non-judgmental conversation could help to break their isolation. A safety plan is ever evolving for someone experiencing abuse due to the abusive person changing tactics to maintain power and control in the relationship. It is crucial to listen to and respect information and experiences victims share to support them in remaining safe. The most common referral sources to helplines are friends and family members who encourage people they are concerned about to reach out for support.”
Any horrific instance of domestic violence, like the two innocent lives allegedly taken by a family member in the Piscataqua River Bridge incident, is one instance too many. These tragedies should not just shock us, they should also strengthen our resolve to combat domestic violence each and every day.
