Common Questions

Q. Does CVIC serve men?

R. Yes. CVIC serves all individuals who qualify for services, regardless of gender. Some programs serve higher percentages of men than others. For example, domestic violence and sexual assault normally are gender-focused crimes with women comprising approximately 95% of victims in national statistics. Thus, our Abuse and Rape Crisis Program tends to serve women at similar rates as that seen nationally. Our Crime Victim Witness Program, on the other hand, serves victims of a variety of crimes and therefore serves a higher percentage of men as victims, normally about 35% to 40%. CVIC's other programs also serve both men and women.

Q. Does CVIC charge for its services?

R. CVIC does not charge for services provided to victims of violence, based on the philosophy that victims should not have to pay for crimes committed against them. Thus, services provided by the Abuse and Rape Crisis Program and Crime Victim Witness Program are provided at no cost. Our Domestic Violence Offender Treatment Program and Wishing Well Child Visitation Program do charge for services provided, but use a sliding fee scale based on income level.

Q. Are CVIC's services confidential?

R. Absolutely. All information concerning our clients is completely confidential. Exceptions apply only in certain circumstances, such as disclosure of child abuse or neglect, or if someone is a danger to themselves or others.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Q. Aren't men also victims of domestic violence?

R. According to Richard Gelles (1995), a nationally recognized researcher who has reviewed a number of reports and statistics, men are victims of domestic violence sometimes, but the frequency and level of severity is usually less than women who are abused. The National Crime Victimization Survey "consistently finds that no matter what the rate of violence or who initiates the violence, women are 7 to 10 times more likely to be injured in acts of intimate violence than are men."

Fear of the spouse/partner is the critical difference between male and female violence. In addition, it is rare for a male to be "battered," that is intimidated by, beaten, and fearful of his spouse. He is rarely dominated through a pattern of coercive control. Self reports from men and women reveal that women are fearful of their violent husband but most men did not report being afraid of their wife.

Q. Why don't more victims leave the abusive relationship?

R. A study by the U.S. Department of Justice states that the most dangerous time for a woman who is being battered is when she leaves. Women stand a 75% increase in being killed or seriously injured when leaving a violent partner.

There are other reasons why a woman does not leave her battering partner. She may love her partner and believe that the abuse is her fault. She may be economically dependent upon him and feel she cannot leave without jeopardizing her or her children's survival. She may hope this incident is the last and believe her husband when he promises that it is or she may think she can change him.

Q. Does domestic violence really affect many people?

R. According to the FBI, 1 out of every 4 women is a victim of domestic violence at least once in her lifetime. At CVIC every year, more than 1,000 people come to us for help in dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault and related issues.

Q. Does domestic violence impact children in the home?

R. Whether children are physically, emotionally, or sexually abused, violence in the home does have a serious impact. Some studies suggest that from 32% to 53% of all families where women are abused their children also are abused by their parent (Eldeson, 1 995). Other studies have shown that these children are at greater risk of delayed language skills, isolation, juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, academic failure, depression and suicide.

Q. Does alcohol cause violence?

R. It is true that some batterers have substance abuse problems; however there is no causal relationship between alcohol or drugs and battering. Batterers are not always drug addicts or alcoholics, and there is no "standard profile" of a batterer. Even after the alcohol or substance abuse problem is addressed, the battering behavior often remains intact and will require a different type of counseling. Statistics by the ND Council on Abused Women's Services indicate that offenders' alcohol use and battering co-occur in approximately 33 percent of cases seen by state crisis intervention centers in 2006. Use of alcohol or drugs can lead to more severe incidents of violence.

Q. Isn't abuse just a momentary loss of temper?

R. The Surgeon General of the United States reports that 1 out of 5 women battered by their partners have been victimized over and over by the same person. The American Medical Association defines domestic violence as an ongoing, debilitating experience of physical, psychological, and/or sexual abuse. That is why anger management classes are not appropriate treatment for domestic violence offenders, as they do not address the intricate system of power and control at the center of abuse. Appropriate offender treatment must emphasize the system of power and control and serve as part of a graduated range of sanctions used by the criminal justice system to hold offenders accountable for their crimes and change their behavior.

Q. Is couple's counseling recommended when domestic violence is involved?

R. No. Because of the imbalance of power within the relationship, a victim of domestic violence is not free to be forthright about the violence with the perpetrator in the same room and, in fact, may place herself in extreme danger for doing so. Couple's counseling is only recommended if the abuse – both physical and emotional – and controlling behaviors have stopped.

Q. Does battering happen in all socioeconomic groups?

R. Abuse happens in every racial, occupational and economic group. As with other crimes and with child abuse, the incidence of domestic violence in minority groups is more likely to come to the attention of the authorities than it is when it occurs among the dominant culture. White, middle and upper class women may have more reason to hide their abuse – such as protecting their husband's job, for example – and may have more resources to deal with the abuse, such as money to use a hotel or private doctor. Lower income persons, with few or no resources, are more apt to resort to public agencies.

SEXUAL ASSAULT

Q. Is rape a crime of passion?

R. Rape is an act of power and control, often planned in advance, and not caused by uncontrollable sexual urges.

Q. Aren't there cases where the woman "asked" for it?

R. No one asks to be injured or humiliated. One study indicated that, in 87% of the cases, the assailant carried a weapon or threatened to kill the victim if she resisted. (The Problem of Rape on Campus. Project on the Status and Education of Women. Fact Sheet of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.) Many women feel they are at risk of being murdered at the time of a rape.

Q. If I watch what I wear and where I go at night, aren't I protected against rape?

R. Most rapes are committed by someone the victim knows: a neighbor, friend, family member, acquaintance, co-worker, date, classmate, spouse, partner or ex-partner. Rapes are committed against females of all ages, from infants to the elderly, and are not caused by the types of clothes they were wearing. Rapes commonly occur in the daytime, in the victim's home or other places where the victim may feel she is safe. While it is always good to take precautions, it is never the victim's fault if an assault occurs.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, strangers are responsible for only 1 in 5 rapes (1996); approximately 35% of victims are raped by acquaintances, 28% by husbands or boyfriends and 5% by other relatives (1994).

Q. If I didn't struggle, was it really rape?

R. Assailants use threats, coercion and force, as well as alcohol or drugs such as Rohypnol, to incapacitate their victims. In fact, alcohol is one of the most common date rape drugs used by rapists when planning a rape. Whether a victim resists or not, it is still rape.

Q. Aren't a lot of rapes just fabricated by women to get revenge on someone?

R. Sexual assault is a vastly underreported crime. Shame, fear of further assaults or other factors prevent many women from reporting the rape to law enforcement. The rate of false reports of rape is 2% to 3%, no different than that of other crimes. (Schafran, L.H. (1993). Writing and reading about rape: A primer. St. John's Law Review, 66, 979-1045.)

Q. Can men be raped?

R. Males are sexually assaulted as boys and adults. In one study, 5% of boys in grades 9-12 and 3% of boys in grades 5-8 reported they had been sexually abused. (The Commonwealth Fund. (1997) The Commonwealth Fund Survey of the Health of Adolescent Girls. New York: The Commonwealth Fund.) CVIC serves all victims of sexual assault, regardless of gender.