1 in 2 women in Ketchikan have experienced domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
The Victim Services Program provides services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking and stalking. Services include group support, crisis intervention, legal advocacy, advocacy for sexual assault, hospital and court accompaniment, financial aid, and transportation assistance. The DV program supports the community and systems that work with victims by collaborating with the DV Task Force in a leadership role and also lead the Disability Abuse Response Team and the Promoting Respectful Relationships Task Force.
Domestic Violence happens when one person maintains control and power over another. The term “domestic Violence” includes felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabiting with or has cohabited with the victim as a spouse or intimate partner, and by a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim. The term “stalking” means engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person. The term “sexual assault” means any nonconsensual sexual act proscribed by Federal, Tribal, or State law, including when the victim lacks capacity to consent. The term “dating violence” means violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim and where the existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on a consideration of the following factors: the length of the relationship; the type of relationship; and the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.
Does your partner:
- Publicly humiliate you?
- Force you to do something you don’t agree with?
- Make you feel guilty for someone else’s anger?
- Play mind games/manipulate you through tactics or intimations that may involve your children or family, personal property?
- Continually put you down and call you names?
- Control what you do, who you see and talk to, and where you go?
- Shift all responsibility for abusive behavior, blaming you?
- Make you feel guilty about the children, or threatened to take away your children?
- Threatened to kill you or commit suicide if you leave?
Change is possible. Strong people rarely have an easy past.
There is hope for healing. It can get better. Domestic Violence can be so easy for people to ignore, especially the victims. It happens with very few or no witnesses, it may happen more often. It may be degrading or humiliating but you may also be in danger of physical harm. He may blame you, he may get you to say or do things you don’t want to, or try to control you. If you are being abused by your partner you may feel confused, afraid, angry or trapped. All these emotions are normal responses to abuse. It all starts with the decision to seek help, live, and love yourself unconditionally.
For more information, please contact the Victim Services Program at: 907-228-9491
Emergency Numbers
WISH | Available 24/7 | 907-225-9474
STRONGHEARTS | 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483)
National Domestic Violence Hotline | 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)