Unlearn the Social Tolerance for Abuse

New trails blazed into 'epidemic' of domestic violence

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Every time a domestic murder occurs, and there have been six in Rhode Island so far in 2015, authorities decry domestic violence and say it must be stopped.

The most recent murder victim was Yolanda McArdle, 42, who was stabbed to death Tuesday in Portsmouth. In response, the directors of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Women's Resource Center said domestic violence was "a widespread epidemic" that is preventable.

Although on Wednesday they called on the criminal justice system to better protect victims, the two organizations are blazing a trail in prevention, and the route leads in some surprising directions.

Among them are finding ways to mix people from different groups into a single community project and building men who are strong in ways other than force and control.

Also, said Deborah DeBare, executive director of RICADV, on Wednesday, "As a society, everyone needs to unlearn the social tolerance for abuse."

The answer is not as simple as "going into a school and having an auditorium presentation," she said.

Similarly, said Lucy Rios, the coalition's director of prevention and communications, "If information could change behavior, no one would smoke, everyone would work out every day."

So prevention efforts follow the research. "Research tells us that communities that are more connected experience less domestic violence," Rios said in explaining why the Women's Resource Center rallied young people and diverse groups to paint a 200-foot wall in Hunter Park with a mural of “What We Love About Newport.”

Although the mural was seen as a way to stop graffiti on a wall that had to be repainted often, Rios said the project was a community-building initiative.

"It took a lot of players to make this happen," she said. "All these people that would never get together before" were getting to know each other, as well as taking pride in their community.

"What tends to happen, if people don't know each other" when an argument is heard next door, they "just turn up the volume on the TV," she said.

But if neighbors are connected with their community, "maybe people are more apt to call the police, or more apt to go and talk to that victim," Rios said. In a connected community, she said, "We're not just going to ignore it, we're going to get involved in some way."

And, according to the research, children whose photographs of Newport were depicted on the mural also got a dose of inoculation against violence. A report by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called "Connecting the Dots: An Overview of the Links Among Multiple Forms of Violence," said that connections with caring adults or access to mental health services are protective factors that make it less likely that people will experience violence and can increase their resilience when faced with violence.

-Providence Journal