A Family Crisis: Jeanne Yeager Discusses Domestic Violence on the Mid-Shore

According to National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 20,000 phone calls are placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide a day. Close to 5 million women a year report physical violence.

For men, 1 in 7 will be victims of severe intimate partner violence in their lifetimes.

Consider this perspective: between 2001 and 2012, the FBI’s data show that 11,766 US women were killed by their husbands or boyfriends, more than the combined deaths of 9/11, US troops killed in Iraq, and Afghanistan (9661).

The numbers are staggering, but as awareness of domestic violence has grown, and attitudes have shifted, more safety nets have been created on private, state and county levels. Law enforcement, emergency medical responders, and ER staff are all more qualified to recognize the signs of domestic violence, and with a recent Maryland legislature requalification of domestic violence, law enforcement, and the courts offer greater protection for families from domestic abuse.

Maryland was previously one of the most difficult states for a person to receive a protective order requiring a higher standard of “clear and convincing evidence,”—the same as in a civil case— and changing the definition to a “preponderance of evidence” allows for wider protection. Second-degree assault—assault without a weapon or deadly instrument— has also been added to the list of crimes for which a person can obtain a permanent protective order.

The new laws went into effect October 1, 2014.

Under the new legislation, protective orders are easier, plus permanent protective orders may be issued for someone who has been convicted of second-degree assault. Additional punishment can now be given to abusers who commit domestic violent crimes in front of minors..

Here, Jeanne Yeager, Executive Director of Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence, talks about the organization’s mission—to be there when needed, offer safety, counseling, financial support, and the freedom to live without violence in a relationship.

Leaving an abusive partner is the hardest, and most dangerous step anyone can take in a relationship. According to FBI data, women have a 70% more chance of being killed within the two-week period after leaving a relationship.

But there are solutions, right here in our Mid-Shore region.

If you are a victim of domestic violence, or know someone who needs help, Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence may be contacted at (hotline) 800-927-467 or 410-690-3222.