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Domestic Violence & Our Success

Domestic Violence Statistics

Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats, economic, and emotional/psychological abuse.

The mothers and children experience both immediate and long-lasting effects to their self-esteem, their sense of safety and their future relationships. They grow up learning that violent behavior is a means of interacting with and controlling others, and thus the cycle of violence is perpetuated. Recent statistics tell us that:

• More than 1 in 3 women (35.6%) in the U.S. report having experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetimes.
• On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States.
• Approximately 5 million children are exposed to domestic violence every year. Children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to attempt suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away from home, engage in teenage prostitution, and commit sexual assault crimes.
• In the U.S., 28% of families were homeless because of domestic violence.

Our Success

At Good Shepherd Shelter, the mothers’ and children’s experiences of violence are validated, but they also learn coping skills and new behaviors that are healthy and violence-free. Most importantly, they learn that, with these new skills, they can choose to end this destructive legacy.
Our program offers a holistic approach to BREAKING the INTERGENERATIONAL cycle of domestic violence. Our goal is to give the mothers and children alternative means of interacting and negotiating to get what they want while respecting the needs and dignity of others. This takes time, but it is worth the effort as 97% of the families who complete our program move forward to live violence-free lives.

Lety and her four children are one such success story. When they arrived at Good Shepherd Shelter, they were fearful and despondent. They found it difficult to trust and Lety did not want to face the reality of her experiences. But, after engaging in the program services such as counseling and classes, and with the help of the elementary school teachers, Lety and her children healed their trauma and successfully transitioned out of the shelter and fulfilled far more than they had ever hoped.

Please click the link to read about their incredible journey.

Lety’s Story English (Download PDF)

Lety’s Story Spanish (Download PDF)

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