Editorial: Violence in the home inexcusable

Friday, Oct. 24, 1997 | 10:32 a.m.

WHEN Ralph Kramden raised his fist at his wife, Alice, and threatened to "Bang, zoom" her to the moon, the television audience laughed.

But it's no laughing matter when a man raises his fist, slams it into his wife's face and then throws her against the wall.

Despite increasing media attention, education and awareness programs, domestic violence remains a national disgrace. It's also a community disgrace.

Rational people are horrified by the tales of beatings and other assaults women -- and in some cases, men -- endure at the hands of their mates.

But in some people's minds there's still that lingering thought: "They (victims) did something to provoke it. They deserved it."

Victims don't "ask for it." Domestic violence is about control -- and rage.

We as individuals, families, neighborhoods, a community and a society must get over that feeling. Until then, the issue of domestic violence will remain behind closed doors, hidden under a veil of shame.

If you don't think domestic violence is a serious problem, consider this:

* Nationally, 6 million women are beaten in their homes each year by their husbands or their partners.

* At least 19 Nevada women were murdered in 1995 by their husband, boyfriend or partner.

* Nationally, the No. 1 cause of women's injuries is abuse at home. Abuse occurs more often than accidents, muggings and rape combined.

* Last year, Metro Police arrested 3,735 men and 950 women in connection with domestic violence incidents. North Las Vegas Police arrested 328 men and 57 women; Henderson Police, 315 men and 106 women; and Boulder City Police, 15 men and two women.

* Domestic violence filings in Clark County Family Court have increased almost 580 percent between 1985 and 1996.

The Nevada statistics don't take into account the many incidents that go unreported and do not involve police or social service agencies.

There are agencies to help victims: Temporary Assistance for Domestic Crisis, Safe Nest and Shade Tree shelter for women. Metro Police recently created a Domestic Violence Detail to handle cases, which have been averaging 1,250 to 1,500 a month, according to one news report.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Local agencies and workers involved in domestic violence prevention have conducted meetings and other events throughout the month to raise the public consciousness.

Domestic violence crosses all ethnic and socioeconomic lines. Some victims feel trapped in the abusive relationship and are afraid to leave.

If we as a neighborhood, community or society are to truly combat the problem of domestic violence, we must make it easier for women to leave an abusive relationship. We must ease their fears that they will be hunted down by a scorned mate, that the abuser will keep their children or that they will be jobless and penniless. We must continue to provide safe havens for them, counseling and job training, if necessary, and counseling programs for abusers.

As individuals, we should not look the other way when we see a woman with bruises or broken spirit. We should not ignore the violent fighting next door.

Domestic violence is not a "family matter." It's a community matter.