RUSSELL – A recent survey distributed to residents of the hilltowns of western Hampden County has uncovered that a vast majority of residents hold similar opinions on domestic violence.
What makes these widely held opinions unsettling is that they also cast doubt that their neighbors feel the same way.
The survey concluded that 96 percent of the 326 respondents agreed that “it is possible to abuse someone without using physical violence” However, only 66 percent of those surveyed believe other hilltown residents would agree with that statement. They also are in widespread agreement, 85 percent of hilltown residents, that “abuse is never the fault of the person being abused”, yet only 54 percent thought their neighbors would agree.
So marks the beginning of a two year public information campaign being put out by the Southern Hilltown Domestic Violence Taskforce, which is aimed at educating and enlightening residents on the prevention of domestic violence and abuse.
Monica Moran of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is working with local residents, the State Police, and a coalition of area support organizations to put forth a planned two-year public outreach and education campaign.
“We started in early 2013, and distributed the surveys from April to August,” said Moran. “We then analyzed the data this fall. We want to make sure that residents know where to get help if they’re worried about someone. You don’t have to be an expert. You can be a bridge.”
The taskforce, which currently has fifteen members, ten of whom are active, meets on the second Thursday of each month.
Chief among their concerns are the certain aspects that make rural life conducive to domestic violence.
“The nearest police station is in Russell, which if you live in Worthington, is about a 45-minute ride.” Moran said. “There aren’t shelters in the hilltowns where you can go to get help.”
She also added that the lack of transportation hinders the efforts of residents to get away from abusive situations.
“There isn’t public transportation there,” she lamented. “If a family only has one car, often times the person being abused isn’t allowed to use it, or their mileage is checked by the abuser.”
Regarding the perceptions of residents about the opinions of their fellow hilltowners, Moran believes that the key is to educate folks through this resident-based initiative.
“People may be scared to say something or ask,” she said of concerned neighbors and friends who suspect an abusive situation next door. “When misconceptions are corrected, people will stand up.”
According to the organization Hilltown Safety at Home, 65 people reported abuse last year, and the organization has received 300 unduplicated reports over the past seven years, which, for this small slice of the Commonwealth, is a sad reality that can be changed.
“It’s a problem all over the United States,” she added. “The statistics say that one in four women will experience abuse in their lifetime. In Massachusetts, 11 percent of high school students reported that they have been hurt on a date.”
Moran said that the Bay State experienced 13 domestic violence fatalities in 2012, a departure from the 26 deaths the state has averaged over the last few years. The only way to eradicate domestic violence is to reach residents and impress upon them the need to speak up, according to Moran.
“We’re hoping to at least get the conversation started,” said Diane Meehan of the Hilltown Community Health Center, just one of several Hilltown organizations banding together to support the initiative. “Things can be hidden in the hilltowns. People have a tendency to solve their own problems. But it’s in an effort to be a good friend and neighbor, to support and help people find resources.”
Meehan said the taskforce is looking to engage in a public poster campaign featuring local residents, letting hilltowners know that “this is part of these communities, and we’re here to help”.
“We’re hoping to provide people with awareness of what’s available,” she said of the group that will assist and serve towns covered by the Gateway School District, including Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery, Russell, and Worthington.
“We’re always open to having people join,” Meehan said.
Lieutenant William Scott of the Massachusetts State Police’s Russell Barracks spoke highly of the taskforce and it’s efforts.
“The organization has been around for about 15 years,” he said. “They do a great job, and in the past two year or two, (domestic violence) stats in the hilltowns have gone down a bit.”
“Whenever we investigate a domestic violence complaint, we have leaflets and business cards at the barracks for the taskforce,” he said. “They provide counseling, safe houses, and even transportation to court for victims, as well as work with students at Gateway Regional High School.”
Scott also added that during their monthly meetings, the discussion is about how to get the message out rather than specific cases, in which a memorandum of understanding must be signed before the taskforce can contact individual victims.
Perhaps the most positive statistic the Task Force found through it’s survey earlier this year, is that 74 percent of hilltowners know of at least one agency they can go to for help if they or someone they know is being abused.
These agencies include Safe Passage (413-586-5066), Hilltown Safety at Home (413-559-8039), Center for Women and Community (413-658-4756) , YWCA New Beginnings (413-667-8784), and for people who are abusive, Moving Forward (888-636-9050).
