Prevent Domestic Violence Before It's Too Late

For those who have personally been effected by domestic violence, the recent Phoenix story regarding the Baxter family might have struck a little deeper. On October 18th, an SUV dove into Tempe Town Lake, capturing the lives of the entire Baxter family, 5 family members total. After investigations were concluded, it has been assumed this tragic event was actually a murder-suicide. Glenn Baxter, the estranged father, had anger issues and been faced with aggravated assault charges in the past. Due to his aggression, we are lead to believe that Glenn had previously threatened his wife and family, then acted on these threats by driving his family’s car into a lake and taking their lives. This can be seen as a prime example of an abusive relationship that wasn’t stopped and resulted in devastating consequences. However, if we can prevent domestic violence in our community, we can end these terrible fatalities that we see as a result.

Why Does Domestic Violence Escalate?

Many who have endured abuse in a relationship sometimes don’t even consider themselves as victims. Phoenix domestic violence lawyer Craig Orent explains the five general forms of domestic violence include: physical violence, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, emotional abuse, and forced economic dependency. Acts like forced dependency or psychological abuse can be easily masked and pushed to the side. However, when victims do not choose to retaliate, abuse can escalate quickly, resulting in severe injuries and potentially death.

Prevent Domestic Violence

We continuously see domestic violence cases all over the news, especially in Arizona. In fact, the Violence Policy Center ranks Arizona as eighth in the number of female fatalities resulting from domestic violence homicide in the country. So how do we stop domestic violence in Arizona before it’s too late? Below are five things your community should do to prevent domestic violence in Phoenix and throughout Arizona:

1. Get your community educated. It is important to advocate in your community to raise awareness on the domestic violence. If there is a local women’s shelter in your Phoenix neighborhood, you can look up any events that they may put on. The more people in the community that gets involved, the better educated the collective group will be. Remember, there are safety in numbers.

2. Get tech savvy. There are various safety apps that members in your community can download, which are designed to alert the network if someone is in danger. Suggesting this in a neighborhood board meeting may be a great idea to get your community further involved.

3. Create a system. If you are suspicious about abusive behavior occurring at a neighbor’s house, you are probably on to something. Trust your instinct and make a plan of action. Some suggest to use a “neighborly approach” by periodically heading over to the neighbors to “borrow” a household item. Frequent drop ins like this will help you gauge the household situation. However, always go over there with someone else. It is important to reassure your safety, especially if you are walking into a potentially dangerous situation.

4. Make the call, don’t wait. If you hear something, don’t hesitate to call the police. That call could save someone’s life.

5. Listen to the victim. When victims open up about their abusive relationship, it is imperative to listen. In a lot of cases, victims will attempt to reach out to someone when abusive instances initially happen. However, it’s when we don’t listen that victims shy away from reaching out again. Whether it’s an instance of sexual abuse or psychological control, be attentive to the victim; this can help empower them and continue to push for the help they need.