Organizations team up to stop domestic violence across Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Nearly 30 organizations across central Ohio have teamed up to analyze potentially preventable domestic violence deaths.
Law enforcement, elected officials and community partners are working to save lives and provide a safe space for victims.
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Organizations such as the Center for Family Safety and Health track domestic violence deaths to figure out how to stop them.
“Last year was really exhausting, and I can’t even imagine what it was like for the police,” Center for Family Safety and Healing Court Systems Coordinator Sandy Huntzinger said. “Honestly, we can’t say why it’s happening or why we saw such a significant increase last year. I do think that the housing crisis has played a significant role in it because more people are forced to stay together because of the cost of housing.”
Despite a grim trend, the center said it is seeing improved interventions with the help of strong community partnerships.
“I do believe that with the work that we have been doing for the last few years together, we’ve made a real difference not only in the lives of survivors but within the greater community,” Huntzinger said.
In 2023, the center found that the most domestic violence fatalities by far in Franklin County involved a gun. For victim’s ages, most were either in their 20s or 40s.
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“Intimate partner and domestic violence is based on power control, for the most part,” Huntzinger said. “We look at it more from a societal perspective, so physical, psychological, economic, financial, spiritual abuse.”
The Ohio Domestic Violence network tracks fatalities on a different timeline. They look at deaths from July of one year to June of the next. Data for 2022-2023 showed more than 100 domestic violence fatalities across the state.
“The most important piece to our fatality report is really about bringing awareness that this can happen in any Ohio county, in any community,” Ohio Domestic Violence Network Policy Director Maria York said.
Both organizations look through news reports and speak with police to try and get the clearest data they can.
“We also know because it’s not a scientific way that we’re counting the data,” York said. “There’s probably or definitely cases that we are missing. So it’s really just the tip of the iceberg. It’s about connecting survivors with resources, spreading awareness and holding people accountable.
“Since the Violence Against Women Act went into effect in 1994, what we have seen is a decrease in men being killed rather than women,” Huntzinger said. “The homicides of women have remained consistent. What we really need to begin to see is this cultural shift about what we know as a community and a culture about domestic violence. And so men need to be speaking up to other men about violence and it not being okay. We need the court systems and all responders to hold individuals committing these acts of violence accountable.”
ODVN is trying to get victim support legislation through the Ohio Statehouse.
One proposed law would enhance penalties and sentencing ranges for convicted felony domestic violence offenders. Another would prohibit convicted domestic violence misdemeanor offenders from owning a firearm.
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“We really need to look at it from a bigger systemic response, that survivors are doing everything they can to stay as safe as possible in the situation they’re in, and yet, we’re still not holding those committing the acts of violence truly accountable for their behavior,” Huntzinger said.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, help is available. There are a number of resources available to victims, from shelter programs to service providers.
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