Guest Column: Community has Resources Dedicated to Preventing Abuse

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In the wake of this week's tragic murder/suicide in Fountain, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the victims, their families, and the entire community of Fountain. I understand that at this time there is no confirmed history of domestic violence in the household where the tragedy occurred; however, what we know about intimate partner homicides indicates there is a strong probability domestic violence played a role in the incident.

Domestic violence is about power and control. Patterns of behavior including emotional, financial, sexual, and physical abuse create an environment of fear and intimidation that allows abusers to control their victims; and leaving the relationship is one of the most dangerous times for a person in an abusive situation. In fact, a National Coalition Against Domestic Violence study found that a victim's risk of being killed by the abuser increases by 75 percent when the victim attempts to leave the relationship. Abusers often view the victim's separation from the relationship as the ultimate betrayal of their power and control - and the violence escalates.

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Guest Column: Community has Resources Dedicated to Preventing Abuse

According to a U.S. Department of Justice Study, about one third of female murder victims were killed by an intimate partner between 1976 and 2004. The s...

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