Lawmakers Discuss Criminal Domestic Violence

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — “Domestic violence crimes have been misunderstood, marginalized, considered private and under addressed,” says Noel Busch-Armendariz, Professor and Associate Dean University of Texas School of Social Work In a meeting of the minds, to include representatives from the local, state and national level, we learned more about Domestic Violence. South Carolina currently ranks second in the nation for the number of women killed by men, according to the Violence Policy Center. During the meeting, Busch-Armendariz referred to the crime as a complex, multi-dimensional systematic issue that’s difficult and thorny. “Difficulty lies in the relationship that exists between the offender and the victim. The kind of offender behavior, the lack of reporting and the under resourced services,” says Busch-Armendariz Also at the meeting, Executive Director of the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Sara Barber. She says her organization is focused on three areas, accountability of offenders, improving state support for shelters and programs to help battered women escape their abusers and gun control. Barber says they would like to see a person convicted of domestic violence prohibited from owning a gun. “We see domestic violence as a public health issue. So bringing everybody to the table that has experience in this field can really generate. we think, the momentum that we need as a community to stand up and make significant changes,” says Barber.