| 
Family Services Helps Domestic Violence Victims
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah
— The statistics are startling. According
to the U.S. Department of Justice, there are 960,000 incidents of
domestic violence each year. Another survey of American families
found 50 percent of the men who frequently assaulted their wives
also abused their children. And the list goes on and on.
No one is immune to the social epidemic of domestic
violence, so The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has
established LDS Family Services, a private, nonprofit organization,
to help individuals and families.
Fred Riley, commissioner of LDS Family Services
and himself a psychologist, recently served on the Department of
Justice domestic violence task force that included representatives
from more than 20 religious faiths.
“The task force focused on how religions
can be a part of dealing more effectively with domestic violence.
We are all struggling with how to do a better job,” said Riley.
“My experience is that the Church has listened and has put
some really good things in place to help both its leaders and members.”
Family Services uses a holistic approach to
help victims of abuse. Trained therapists work with a victim’s
Church leader to provide emotional and spiritual counseling. The
Church also stands by to help with any other physical necessities
a victim might need.
Riley said: “If a woman were to call us
and say, ‘I’m being abused; I need some help,’
our response to her would be, ‘When can you come in?’
And we wouldn’t charge her a thing.”
Besides providing counseling to victims at its
71 offices throughout the world, Family Services operates a 24-hour
help line for Church leaders. The help line is staffed by trained
therapists who have experience in dealing with child abuse, spouse
abuse and other forms of domestic violence.
“The purpose of the help line is first
to protect the victims, second to prevent any more victimization
of those individuals or anybody else,” Riley said. “Next,
we help the perpetrator get help, and that typically means to report
the abuse.”
Family Services also provides counseling and
resources to help children of abuse, which Riley said is critical
to stop the cycle of violence. “If we can reach the children
at a young age, then their tendency to have a different kind of
parenting skill when they grow up is increased.”
Ultimately, education plays an important role
in prevention and helping families help themselves. Family Services
has created two courses of study called “Strengthening Family”
and “Strengthening Marriage.” Addiction recovery support
meetings are also available through LDS Family Services.
© 2007 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
|
