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Is Ohio serious about domestic violence?
By Melissa Martin, Ph.D.
More than 76,000 domestic disputes were reported to Ohio police in
2017, according to Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and
Investigation.
The Ohio Domestic Violence Network reports that from July 2017 to June
2018, there were 91 fatalities attributed to domestic violence; in 22
percent of the deaths, children were at the scene; and in 46 percent of
the fatalities the victim had ended the relationship or was in the
process of ending it.
Are Ohio’s elected officials serious about domestic violence?
Rep. Janine Boyd and Rep. Sara Carruthers are sponsoring Ohio House
Bill 3 to better identify high-risk domestic violence situations. The
bill is titled Aisha’s Law in memory of Aisha Fraser of Shaker Heights,
a victim of domestic violence who was stabbed to death by her ex-spouse
with their children nearby.
Senate Bill 43 seeks to revise penalty/firearm limit for domestic
violence. Primary sponsors are Stephanie Kunze and Nickie Antonio. The
bill also wants to make strangulation of a partner or spouse a felony
instead of a misdemeanor because strangling is one of the most common
forms of domestic abuse.
In 2018, Gov. John Kasich signed House Bill 1 into law to strengthen
Ohio’s domestic violence laws by allowing victims of dating violence to
obtain civil protection orders. Ohio Substitute House Bill 19 (HB 19)
became effective March 29, 2010. The bill requires public schools to
incorporate dating violence into their policies prohibiting harassment,
intimidation or bullying. School districts also must include dating
violence prevention education in the health curriculum for grades 7
through 12. On June 17, 2010, Ohio law began allowing juveniles to
obtain Civil Protection Orders (CPO) in Juvenile Court when they
experience violence in their relationships by other teens (Oh. Rev.
Code § 2151.34.)
Is Ohio serious about domestic violence funding?
Ohio Revised Code. 109.46 Domestic violence program fund. (1) There is
hereby created in the state treasury the domestic violence program fund
consisting of money appropriated to the fund by the general assembly or
donated to the fund. The attorney general shall administer the domestic
violence program fund. The attorney general may not use more than five
per cent of the moneys appropriated or deposited into the fund to pay
costs associated with administering the fund, and shall use at least
ninety-five per cent of the moneys appropriated or deposited into the
fund for the purpose of providing funding to domestic violence programs
under this section.
Ohio ranks near the bottom in state and local revenues to domestic
violence programs adjusted for population, spending just $2.04 per
person. The national average is $5.82. Visit
www.domesticviolenceshelters.org.
However, the newly passed two-year state budget includes a historic
moment for domestic violence shelters across the state. The budget
includes a 123 percent increase in funding for domestic violence
prevention.
In February 2019, Ben Carson, secretary of the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, announced funding expansion during a
news conference at the Battered Women’s Shelter in Akron. HUD has
approved $1.7 million to be distributed to other Ohio cities for this
purpose.
In Ohio, other public support comes from a small portion of county
marriage and divorce license fees. In most counties, that generates
less than $20,000.
Is your Ohio county serious about domestic violence?
Melissa Martin, Ph.D., is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist. She lives in Southern Ohio.
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