Report: Thousands of domestic violence complaints neglected
As world marks International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women, Ynet reveals thousands of appeals to domestic violence centers are ignored due to lack of funding. While allocation of funds to combat domestic abuse have gone up by 18% over past five years, number of complaints over same period rises by 73%
A Welfare and Social Services Ministry report obtained by Ynet on Saturday reveals that thousands of appeals to domestic violence centers were not dealt with because of a lack of financial resources. The budget allocation for domestic abuse prevention rose by 18% from 2000-2005 while the number of
complaints to domestic violence shelters went up 73%.
As a result of the increase in pleas, spousal abuse centers were only able to respond to part of those who sought their help.
According to statistics presented in the report, in 2000, 1,700 appeals for help were not responded to. That number shot up to 5,100 in 2006.
The Welfare Ministry response to complaints of domestic violence is divided in two types of care: treatment within the community and treatment outside of it.
The response to pleas for help within the community is administered through 67 domestic violence prevention centers which are spread out across the country. The ministry operates 17 centers for the Arab, Bedouin and Druze communities and three for the ultra-orthodox sector.
Social Affairs Minister Yitzhak Herzog claims that the numbers presented in the report reflect that domestic violence is present in all of Israel's various ethnic/social groups.
"The problem is first and foremost social-educational. Unfortunately, Israeli society is becoming more and more violent," Herzog said.
"There is a need to expand joint social welfare and school programs in order to increase the awareness on the subject within the young generation in order to prevent it (from happening) in the future," the minister added.
Last year, 9,305 people were tended to for domestic violence-related issues. Of them, 6,213 were women (67%), 2,377 were men (25%) and 715 were children (8%). New immigrants made up 1,412 (20%) and 578 were senior citizens (7%).
International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women
Treatment for victims outside of the community is designated for women who have been severely violently abused. In 2006, 744 women received care in 13 battered women shelters. These women brought with them 1,048 children. Around 40% of the women stayed in the shelters from a month to half a year. Another 48% decided to leave shelters after less than a month.
The majority of the children (63%) that stayed in these battered women's shelters were aged less than six years old. Approximately 13% were 11 or older.
Around 35% of women housed in shelters are Israelis by birth, 17% were immigrants from the Former Soviet Union, 12% from Ethiopia and 34% were Arab. More than half of the women were between the ages of 26 and 40.
Social Affairs Minister Herzog has recently stated that victims of domestic violence that choose to leave the shelters were they have been received in order to live independently will be eligible for financial grant of 10,000 NIS.
In the lead up to the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women to be marked on Sunday, Herzog has promised that his ministry will direct resources and means to confront this grave problem.
