At Exchange Club meeting are Dr. Charlotte Boatwright, ACE award winner Erica Thomas, club president Dennis Norwood, and Howard guidance counselor Rosina Heywood. Click to enlarge all our photos.
photo by Christina Seibold
Domestic violence is one of the only preventable forms of violence, according to Dr. Charlotte Boatwright, Executive Director of the Coalition Against Domestic Violence of Greater Chattanooga.
In a speech to the Chattanooga Exchange Club, Dr. Boatwright said that one third of all homicides in Chattanooga are domestic-related. She said in 1997, Chattanooga received a Byrne grant to begin the Hamilton County Domestic Violence Task Force.
“During the first year of operation, domestic homicides went down from between 14-18 a year to two. But as officers were pulled away from the program and then the grant expired, the numbers went back up and now they’re right back to where they were before.”
Dr. Boatwright said 75 percent of domestic homicides and serious injuries occur when a victim is attempting to escape from their abuser. “Victims are also afraid of losing their children and that they will not make enough money to support themselves when they leave. Many of them have been brainwashed into believing that they can’t make it on their own.”
Studies show that many victims of domestic violence suffer from post traumatic stress syndrome, much like war veterans. Dr. Boatwright also said if a victim is able to escape, they are often abused again by systems that are supposed to protect them.
“The court system re-victimizes victims,” she said. “The justice system as a whole has tended to be reactive instead of proactive.”
Dr. Boatwright told the Exchange Club that more must be done to rehabilitate the abusers in society. She said many abusers come from abusive homes themselves and learned the destructive behavior from an early age. “We need to provide the help that is needed by the perpetrators, or we’ll never solve the problem of domestic violence.”
The entire community suffers when abuse goes unchecked, Dr. Boatwright said. “Violence in the home doesn’t stay in the home, it eeks out into the community, and community violence is all of our problem.”
Child abuse prevention is the national cause for the Exchange Club. Before Dr. Boatwright’s speech, the club honored Howard High Senior, Erica Thomas, with their Accepting the Challenge of Excellence Award. The ACE award comes with a $1,000 education scholarship, and the winner goes on to compete for the district award of $3,500. The official presentation will take place at Howard High on May 9.
Ms. Thomas comes from an abusive situation as a child in Newark, New Jersey. On May 17, she will be the first member of her family to graduate from high school. She has already been accepted to several colleges, and plans to become a graphic artist. Erica and her guidance counselor, Rosina Heywood, read essays to the club members.
“The ACE award is meant to honor and reward high school seniors who have overcome immense challenges in their lives,” said Dennis Norwood, President of the Chattanooga Exchange Club. “Erica is a great example of someone who has overcome great obstacles in her life to be a role model for other children who have come through abusive situations. Erica was not only a victim of child abuse, but also a victor over child abuse.”