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Irrespective of city or zip code, domestic violence affects neighborhoods and communities throughout our nation. In spite of services offered by shelters, and legislation to protect victims, substantial numbers of battered women are returning to their abusers out of fear and uncertainty arising from economic need.
Once free from their abusive environments and on their own, victim-survivors, confined to minimum-waged jobs, often find themselves unable to generate income sufficient to guarantee timely bill payments, adequate child care, and additional services which most of us take for granted.
In circumstances such as these, financial vulnerability can quickly lead to emotional vulnerability. At this point, a former victim's focus and sense of self-empowerment may erode to such an extent that she becomes strongly tempted to return to the very situation which previously threatened not only her own well-being, but that of her children, as well.
These become issues not merely of personal safety, but may ultimately escalate to matters of life and death (or physical impairment and disability at the very least).
As such, it has become all too apparent that many women in these circumstances slip through the cracks, only to return to their abusers in reaction to the economic hardship imposed by inadequate job skills training, when competing in today's highly demanding career market.
The majority of these situations can be remedied, once a woman facing such circumstances is offered a sense of hope amidst desperation.
When battered women develop viable alternatives fostering a sense of self-confidence, self-respect, and hope, then something significant occurs within their lives: Victims in transition discover that they have journeyed toward empowered survivorship, guaranteeing increased Hope for all of our communities.
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