Resources for Victims of Domestic Violence

Content Reviewed April 2015

One of the hard earned and painful lessons which the family of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee learned in its struggle with the clergy sexual abuse crisis is how insidiously it tears at the fabric of the relationships within that family; and yet, how strong that fabric can be when a family finally stands up to the abuse and confronts it. This is a lesson other families can learn from us.

Another of the lessons we learned is that the cause of the abuse is hidden in the psyche of the abuser. Even if the perpetrator attempts to shift the blame to the victim, the victim is not at fault for the attack. The victim is just that - a victim - of the weakness or illness of the one abusing them. And we are certain there are more lessons to be learned.

It takes courage, however, to face all of the pain surrounding the fear that a family member might be abusing another be that a child, a spouse, a partner, or an aging parent. These fears often paralyze us, preventing us from acting. They often keep us from admitting that this kind of thing can happen within our family as it can happen in any family. And the family that refuses to face that fact only enables the violence to continue.

We forget that we are not alone in facing this. That those trained to lend support are not there to judge the moral fabric of the family, only to help that family to overcome the struggles they are facing with dignity and strength.

It is with this in mind, having hopefully learned from our mistakes, that we present this web page for you. We pray that it will support you in the steps you need to take.

Respectfully
Yours in Christ,
Father Charles Keefe

• According to the United States Department of Justice, more than 1,000 women, almost three a day, die as a result of domestic violence at the hands of a husband, boyfriend, or other intimate.
• An estimated 1.5 million women are battered each year by their husbands or partners; and 70% of men who batter women also batter their children, making the presence of partner abuse the single most identifiable risk factor for predicting child abuse.

For more information on the Catholic Conference of Bishops position on domestic violence visit www.usccb.org click on bishops statements and click on "When I call for help: A Pastoral Response to Domestic Violence Against Women.

RESOURCES

Dodge County

People Against a Violent Environment, 920-887-3785 or 800-775-3785

Fond du Lac County

Catholic Charities, 920-923-2550

ASTOP, 920-926-5395

Crisis Line, 920-921-7657

Kenosha County

Catholic Charities, 262-656-2098

Women's and Children's Horizons/Pathways of Courage, 262-862-9900

Crisis Line, 800-853-5303

Milwaukee County

Catholic Charities, 414-771-2881 (main) or 414-541-3624 (southwest)

The Healing Center, 414-671-4325

Sexual Assault Treatment Center, 414-219-5555

Ozaukee County

Catholic Charities, 262-923-2550

Advocates of Ozaukee, 262-284-6902

Racine County

Catholic Charities, 262-637-8888

Sexual Assault Services, 262-619-1634

Crisis Line, 262-637-7233

Sheboygan County

Catholic Charities, 920-923-2550

Safe Harbor, 920-452-8611

Crisis Line, 920-452-7640

Walworth County

Association for the Prevention of Family Violence, 262-723-4653

Washington County

Catholic Charities, 262-334-0886

Friends of Abused Families, 262-334-5598 or 262-334-7298

Waukesha County

Catholic Charities, 262-547-2463

Women's Center, 262-547-4600

Crisis Line, 262-542-3828

Statewide

Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, 608-257-1516

Crisis Line, 608-255-0539

Websites with Additional Support

Wisconsin Caoliation Against Sexual Assault

The Healing Center of Milwaukee

UMOS Latina Resource Center