Ottawa walk asks public to reflect on domestic violence numbers; 23% of women in rural areas experience abuse

Domestic violence is experienced by 23% of women who live in rural areas, such as La Salle County, and local Zonta clubs marched Thursday in Ottawa to bring home that fact.

Clubs members, along with Heather Steele and Susan Bursztynsky of Safe Journeys and Grace Norris of Illinois Valley Community College’s One Book, One College program, conducted a luminary walk through Washington Square in honor of domestic violence survivors.

Steele, Bursztynsky and Norris spoke to Zonta Club members from Ottawa, Streator and La Salle-Peru at First United Methodist Church, where Steele explained she prefers the term survivor for those in domestic violence situations rather than victim.

Steele said domestic violence means the abuse is coming from a family member or someone living within the household, which could include a roommate.

“There are a handful of different domains of abuse that someone might use to hurt another perosn,” Steele said. “We always think of physical immediately, but it’s more than that, right?”

She listed emotional violence, verbal abuse that comes in the form of name calling, psychological abuse that can come in the form of gaslighting. Gaslighting is a type of manipulation abusers use to create self-doubt and confusion in their target’s mind. There’s also sexual abuse, which Steele said falls under the umbrella of domestic abuse.

Other terms used are intimate partner violence, which delineates partner violence coming from someone who may not live in the same home, Steele said.

Thursday’s message ties into One Book, One College at IVCC, featuring “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land.

One Book, One College started in 2020 in response to the protests that sprang up nationally after the death of George Floyd. Norris said the program is a place to discuss and learn about others’ experiences within the world in an effort to raise empathy, build awareness and build community.

“Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive” is a story about a woman escaping a domestic violence situation while struggling to make things work financially.

Steele mentioned financial violence as another category, a type of violence that comes in many different forms. Abusers will try to make leaving the relationship difficult by limiting money and preventing people from working, or opening accounts in their name without paying off the bills.

“This actually happens quite a bit, so we’ve got that kind of direct sabotage,” Steele said. “We can also think about if they cause a person to lose employment or don’t allow them to have a job. That’s pretty common.”

Steele said the book features an individual who has to take less-than-desirable jobs to get out of poverty, and poverty can be a factor in many domestic violence situations.

Steel said one out of every three people living in poverty also experience domestic violence. Since La Salle County has a homeless rate of 14%, Steele said that means there are about 14,000 unhoused people, a third of which will experience domestic violence.

“So, they’re living in poverty, and one out of three of them also experiences domestic violence,” Steele said, referencing the average rate. “I know that’s a horrible thing to leave you with but that’s what I want to leave you with. I want you to reflect on those numbers.”

Safe Journeys provides support and services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in La Salle and Livingston counties, with a shelter in Streator. It also provides counseling, medical advocacy and legal advocacy for those needing to navigate the system. Its aid is free, and those in need can contact the 24/7 support line at 815-673-1555.

Zonta International is a club focused on advocating for women’s rights, equality, education and an end to child marriage and gender-based violence.

For more information on Zonta International, go to zonta.org.