Domestic Violence Information & Resources

In reading the story of Juanita Carrothers it is hard to believe that there was ever a time in this country, or anywhere else, that such things were possible.

Sadly, Domestic Violence used to be an accepted part of the culture. A man giving his wife a smack now and then to keep her in line was not considered the crime it really is.

And domestic violence is not just a man attacking a woman. It goes both ways and instead of decreasing it is increasing at alarming rates.

The law in Britain used to allow a man to "chastise" his wife with any "reasonable instrument." What they called "reasonable" was further described as limited to a stick whose diameter was not wider than the diameter of his thumb. This is the origin of the phrase "rule of thumb."

Even in this country it was not until 1895 that a woman could divorce her husband because of abuse.

In 1994 the Violence Against Women Act was adopted and became the first real attempt at research into domestic abuse and provided legal and financial support for social services and law enforcement to protect battered women.