The Compass

Issue date: 11/4/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Emily Perry The Domestic Violence Symposium drew a crowd to the CE Auditorium Monday.

Monday morning at the Symposium on Domestic Violence, Gainesville State College students, faculty and community members were awakened by some very sobering facts.

"91 percent of women murdered in America are murdered by someone they are in a relationship with," Stephanie Woodard, Solicitor General for Hall County, told a crowd of over 300 people.

Nationally, the average age of a woman who dies as a result of domestic violence is 38, Woodard said.

Of the statistics available, Woodard said the numbers do not include Hispanic figures since they haven't started counting Hispanic females nationally.

Woodard's office handles domestic violence cases on a daily basis and she has seen how seemingly normal relationships evolve into violence.

"When a relationship begins, it causes you to feel so important when your significant other texts you frequently wanting to know where you are and who you are with," Woodard said.

"The line is so fine between that kind of dating relationship and stalking. I've seen text messages 52 times a minute, 380 in a day.

"It is unhealthy actions such as frequent texting and phone calls that lead to partners trying to control each other. It gets the emotions built up and it leads to confrontation," Woodard said.

Creating a safer world where young ladies and young men can date and establish relationships of a healthy nature that don't end in death, is her ultimate goal, Woodard said.

Woodard conducts assessments of cases brought to her by fellow panel member, Sgt. Bob Watterson of the Domestic Violence Unit in the Hall County Sheriff's office.

Watterson has worked homicide in Hall county for four years before becoming part of the Domestic Violence Unit (DVU).

Watterson said he views domestic cases as preventing homicides.

Although his team is geared toward handling cases of men assaulting women, Watterson said they are seeing an increase in women assaulting men.

And overall they are seeing an increase in violence cases.

Currently, Hall County DVU officers have two units on every shift with a total of 12 units that work the county.

And substance abuse is often a factor in calls answered.

Continued...

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