- More women between the ages of 15 to 44 are injured due to domestic violence than in car accidents, mugging and rapes combined
- Of women murdered in the United States , it is estimated that more than 50 percent were killed by their current or former male partner
- Sixty-three percent of men under age 21 who are incarcerated in the U.S. for homicide are serving time for killing their mother's abuser
- Violent juvenile offenders are four times more likely to have grown up in a home where they saw violence than the population at large
- Across the nation, fifty percent of homeless women and children left their homes to escape domestic violence
- Of women who visit medical emergency rooms, it is estimated that up to 35 percent of injuries resulted from domestic violence
- Lost wages, sick leave, absenteeism and non-productivity resulting from domestic violence cost U.S. businesses $100 million annually
Reference links
This is a sampling of web sites that our staff find helpful for information about domestic violence. Family and Children's Services does not endorse any of these web sites.
The Maryland Department of Public Safety provides comprehensive services to the crime victims, including help in navigating the criminal justice process, information on the release dates of offenders and the whereabouts of released offenders. Victim Services also provides financial assistance to victims.
Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence is a state coalition web site that offers training, links to state service providers and information about the domestic violence legislative agenda.
StopFamilyViolence.org is a national web site that provides statistics about family violence, offers safety tips for internet use and includes links to other national sites.
"For over thirty years of my life, all I have known is violence. For over thirty years, I believed it was all I deserved. When you've been treated as less than nothing for so long, it's hard to believe that you deserve anything good in your life." - FCS client
Services we offer for victims of domestic violence and their families
Family and Children's Services provides a wide range of services for victims of domestic violence, their children and their abusers. We strive to empower victims so that they can take control of their lives back from their abuser. We seek to help the victim and children remove themselves from harm and heal from the abuse. We offer support groups designed to support victims at their level of need. Children's support groups and crisis intervention groups are also held. We hold seminars on topics such as raising healthy children and budgeting on a low income.
"We work with victims who decide to leave as well as those who do not," says Director of Family Services Pat Thompson. "We aren't here to judge a victim or to tell her what to do." FCS staff help the victim access medical care. We provide emergency shelter, food and transportation while more permanent housing is being arranged. We help guide the victim through the legal maze, explaining procedures and what to expect, helping secure a lawyer and, if she needs moral support, accompanying her to court appointments.
In addition to our services for victims, a program for batterers is offered. "We believe that, in order to end domestic violence, we must address the perpetrators of the abuse," says Cliff Files, program coordinator of the Abusers Intervention Program in West Baltimore County . While it is difficult to change the violent behavior of a batterer, the partners of 54% of the men in the AIP program report a decrease in abusive behaviors.
Each year, over 2,000 people use one or more of our domestic violence services.
Domestic Violence Programs
helps people who have experienced sexual, physical or emotional abuse. Counseling, advocacy and support services are offered to victims and their families. Not all services are available at each center. Please call for details.
Woodlawn Office: 410-281-1334
Westminster Office: 410-876-1233
General Counseling
helps couples and families create and maintain a safe and nurturing environment, promotes family cohesion and harmony, and makes it possible for individuals to function at the highest level possible.
Annapolis Office: 410-571-8341
Bel Air Office: 410-838-9000
Columbia Office: 410-997-3557
Falls Road Office: 410-366-8145
Laurel Office: 410-880-5917
Woodlawn Office: 410-281-1334
Westminster Office: 410-876-1233
Abuse Treatment Services
help people who have experienced sexual, physical or emotional abuse. Counseling is offered to victims and their families. Advocacy and support services in the home, school and community are also offered. Not all services are available at each center. Please call for details.
Anne Arundel Abuse Counseling Center Annapolis Office: 410-571-8341
Child Abuse Treatment Services (CATS)
Falls Road Office: 410-366-8145
Woodlawn Office: 410-281-1334
Child Sexual Abuse Treatment Centers
Westminster Office: 410-876-1233
Bel Air Office: 410-838-9000 |
