IPV and DV in Ohio

News Story: A parolee is accused of punching the mother of his child in the head, and then kicking her as she was lying on the ground. 42 year old Stanley Pearson was arrested on a felony domestic violence charge. He had previously served time for other convictions of felony domestic violence in 1996, 1998 and 2011. For the previous convictions, he served jail time and was sentenced to intensive supervisory probation and three years of community control. His bond is currently set at $100,000. The reason for the fight, the condition of the mother and whether or not the child was present at the time of the attack is all unknown.

http://www.cantonrep.com/newsnow/x1922396037/Alliance-man-accused-of-punching-kicking-childs-mother

1: In the state of Ohio if you attempt to cause or cause bodily harm you will face class I misdemeanor charges, if you threaten or cause a family or household member to believe that physical harm will be caused, you  will face class IV misdemeanor charges. It becomes a felony once a third conviction of domestic violence is committed. The term “domestic” does not mean the incident has to occur between spouses. Domestic applies to any of the following relationships: roommate, spouse, someone you share a child with, any family member, ex-spouse, parent or child, live in girlfriend/boyfriend, relatives by marriage.

2: As I was researching safe places where victims of DV and IPV can go in Ohio, I counted over 100 shelters and programs that offer help.  (http://www.actionohio.org/ohiodvshelter.htm)  One of these shelters is the Genesis House, this is located in a confidential location and it offers safety, shelter, food, advocacy, counseling and education for victims. (http://www.cityoflorain.org/police/programs__services/domestic_violence_victims_rights)

One of the many organizations offering help in Ohio was a part of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). They offer a variety of programs to help victims as well as The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. (http://www.ncadv.org/files/Ohio.pdf)

 There are numerous other hotlines that victims can call 24 hours a day. A program called Action Ohio is a coalition for battered women.  After someone is arrested for a domestic violence issue, if the perpetrator is lucky enough to be granted bail, a temporary restraining order will be put in place to ensure the safety of the victim.  (http://www.myohiodefenselawyer.com/criminal-charges/domestic-violence-laws/ )

3: There are so many videos you can look up these days on the popular video site youtube.com. Some of the really popular ones are makeup tutorials. As a PSA this woman made a special makeup tutorial for battered women and demonstrated how to do makeup tricks to help hide bruises and marks. It makes the viewer feel awful and at the end of the video she hears a noise, looks frightened and hurriedly turns the camera off. I thought it was an extremely powerful video.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/domestic-violence-psa-disguised-makeup-tutorial-battered-women-article-1.1108515

Another video I found was filmed in Johannesburg, South Africa. It’s extremely moving and has to do with people either getting involved when they hear abuse happening, or whether they stay out of it and ignore the fact that something serious is going on.

http://amplifyyourvoice.org/u/afy_samantha/2010/12/04/amazing-domestic-violence-psa-from-south-africa