8
street roots
Oct. 12, 2012
Survivors’ stories
Three women reflect on what it means to escape the grip o f domestic violence
BY ALEX ZIELINSKI
S T A F F W R IT E R
tatistics can carry a lot of weight.
Like the fact that nationally, one in
every four women will be the victim
of domestic violence. And the fact that
such violence takes lives, destroys families
and costs the nation billion in health care
costs and lost wages. In Oregon, annually,
18 people die each year from domestic
violence, including men, women and
children.
When the Gateway Center for Domestic
Violence opened its doors in September
2010, it was intended as a one-stop hub for
both victims of domestic violence and their
families. A collaboration between the city
of Portland, Multnomah County, and public
and private agencies, the center has
quickly become a crucial refuge for families
across the county seeking escape and
guidance. From helping victims file for
restraining orders to leading teen therapy
sessions, Gateway has left a resounding
impact on its clientele.
Even what all we know today about
domestic violence, it remains one of the
most underreported crimes in the nation.
But for as many victims who walk into
Gateway, survivors walk out. To
commemorate October as Domestic
Violence Awareness Month, Street Roots
spoke with three survivors about their
journey to move beyond the violence they
experienced.
S
Mary*
Mary first came to Gateway last winter
after her husband kicked her and her three
young children out of their home. Her
husband wanted to move his old high
school girlfriend in. They were in the way.
“I was in a state of crisis,” says Mary.
“My husband had crossed the line from
verbal to physical abuse. I never thought it
would get that far.”
This was a transition that Mary had
heard about in the few domestic violence
groups she had attended prior to Gateway,
but never saw it happening in her
relationship. Denial, she found, was an
easy front to hide behind.
“It’s like what they say about Satan,” she
says. “He won’t kill you, he wants you to
kill yourself.”
But, within days, she saw immediate
See SURVIVORS, page 9
Illustration by xoch¡calco
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