Newark NJ officials recently announced that they will be taking steps to protect victims of domestic violence and raise awareness of the city’s serious domestic violence problem.
Among the new domestic violence measures will be a number of different services made available to anyone who has been victimized by domestic violence or who is looking for information about how to stop domestic abuse. These services will include:
- Counseling: The city will offer a counseling hotline, with operators available 24 hours a day to assist domestic violence victims. Anyone calling the hotline will be able to receive free, confidential support from trained personnel.
- Legal referrals: Victims of domestic violence often feel helpless when the time comes to leave their abuser. Anyone in need of a restraining order will now be able to get legal assistance so that they can navigate the complicated NJ court system. Domestic violence victims will also be able to get referrals to medical services and social services, if needed.
- Relocation assistance: A victim of domestic violence may need to get some distance from their abuser. However, this is often easier said than done because relocation could require extensive resources. Newark officials plan to offer help to anyone who is seeking an emergency relocation in order to protect themselves, or their children, against a domestic abuser.
- Educational programs: Newark will provide informational programs and stage community workshops to make sure that potential victims of domestic violence are aware of the various government services now available to protect them.
- Training police, doctors, and educators: Newark NJ police officers, doctors, school counselors, and anyone else who might be in a position to stop domestic violence will receive additional training on how to recognize the signs of domestic abuse.
The goal of Newark NJ political leaders is two-fold: the new programs should (1) help to prevent domestic abuse in the future and (2) also delivering immediate assistance in the form of important services for victims of domestic violence. The hope is that the new domestic violence measures will go beyond merely providing short-term assistance to victims.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka issued a statement announcing the city’s new domestic violence measures and highlighting the urgent need for these policy changes. Mayor Baraka noted that during the first five months of 2016, eight women were killed in domestic violence homicide incidents in Newark, New Jersey.
Baraka also said that domestic violence affects everyone: women, men, children, seniors, and anyone who might know someone who has been victimized by a domestic abuser.
For more information, access the NJ.com article, “Free Counseling, Workshops among New Campaign to Stop Domestic Violence in Newark.”