(bright music) - [Announcer] Funding for "Utah Insight" is made possible by viewers like you.

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- [Liz] Next on "Utah Insight," eradicating domestic violence.

- But people don't know what's going on behind closed doors.

- [Liz] Hear from those who are working to confront domestic violence at intersections to survivors who are now speaking out to help others heal.

- And sometimes that's all we need, you know, to be validated and feel like we matter.

All day long, what we hear is we don't matter.

- Plus, learn the role that you can play to help stop domestic violence.

(pensive music) Welcome to "Utah Insight."

I'm Liz Adeola.

You're looking at the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition's interactive map that connects people, survivors and advocates, to domestic and sexual violence resources statewide.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence says, "On average, nearly 20 people are abused each minute in the United States, and that adds up to millions of domestic abuse victims each year."

The CDC and the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control discovered that in Utah, more than 33% of women and more than 21% of men experienced this type of abuse in their lifetimes.

The National Network To End Domestic Violence shared this snapshot of a typical day at a domestic violence program in Utah.

People reached out 442 times to the hotline for help.

773 victims were served, but 170 individuals, most of whom needed emergency shelter or housing, could not get assistance due to a lack of resources.

And that's what we're gonna talk about today, resource availability, prevention tips, and what we as a society can do to decrease the rate of domestic violence in Utah.

Throughout this show, you're gonna see information at the bottom of your screen where you can turn to for more resources.

But first, let's get started with our panel introductions.

Joining us in the studio we have Jakey Siolo who is a case management Coordinator with Pacific Island Knowledge 2 Action Resource.

Jen Campbell is the executive director of the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition.

And Brandy Farmer, who is a survivor, is also a domestic violence prevention specialist at Centro Civico Mexicano.

Thank you, all, for being here today.

Brandy, I wanna start with you.

When you see those numbers and you see that there are people who are looking for help but unable to find it, how does that make you feel?

- Pretty frustrated because I do receive a lotta calls from victims that are unable to get the services.

And because they can't get the services, they go back.

And that is, you know, very disconcerting for someone like myself who's a survivor and also trying to help them.

They give up.

- Jen, we've heard about this increase of domestic violence cases during the pandemic.

Have those numbers decreased at all now that people are getting back out to work?

- I wouldn't say they've decreased.

I think what's happened is it's just changed the ways people access.

So some of the things that programs needed to do during the pandemic is become online, virtual, and it increased some of those opportunities for access, and so that also allowed us to find individuals that maybe we hadn't found before.

But we also saw individuals who maybe during the high point of the pandemic, weren't wanting to come into a shared space, weren't wanting to, you know, well, they wanted to, but they were scared and so seeing that happen again where people are now coming and accessing, so I wouldn't say it's lessened.

I think it's just changed the way people are accessing, and they're continuing to do so.

- Hm.

Jakey, people often have this set perception in their mind of this is what domestic violence looks like and this is what a domestic violence victim looks like.

How do you cut through to that and let people know that this is something that can be more insidious and complex than what they think?

- Yeah, I've been a victim advocate for about two years here in Salt Lake County.

I primarily work with Pacific Islanders, but we do service everyone.

I think domestic violence or violence period, it crosses all cultures, backgrounds, race, gender, sexuality, income, everything.

You know, a lot of my clients' perpetrators were law enforcement, their religious leaders.

So, you know, violence is in every part of our communities, and so there isn't, like, a clearcut or a cookie cut of, you know, this is what a survivor looks like, this is what a perpetrator looks like.

You know, sometimes it's too hard to tell.

And so a lot of the work we do is just prevention, also getting out and showing out for survivors because you never know where you'll meet one.

- While researching this topic, we found that rates of intimate partner violence for people in the LGBTQ+ community are often higher.

The Williams Institute of Law at UCLA found that more than 31% of transgender people experience intimate partner violence within their lifetime, that compared to over 20% of people who identify as cisgender.

Jakey, those numbers are so troubling.

What are some of the things that are behind those stats?

- Yeah, I think as a queer person of color, I feel honored to be a victim advocate for queer survivors or LGBTQ survivors.

There's so much complexity when you're looking at, you know, a survivor because of all the backgrounds that they come of, whether it be their race, their gender, their sexuality.

And so, you know, many times, especially when it comes to transgender women who are being murdered, we see homicides across the country.

You know, a lot of them, or a lot of queer people are living on the streets due to being kicked out, due to interpersonal violence or relationship violence.

And so there's so many barriers to it.

I also would add that, you know, there has always been violence towards LGBTQ people and specifically transgender people of color on a wider scale but also when it comes to domestic violence.

And so it's heartbreaking to see.

And so, you know, I'm the director of Nuanua Collective, which is an organization for LGBTQ Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders.

And, you know, one of our goals here soon is to start training our own community, the LGBTQ community to partake in the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition's 40-hour training and getting all of our community members equipped with the resources that they need, you know, letting people know that the hotline is not only for survivors to call, but that they can call and get information because it's important because we never know who or when we'll come across a survivor.

- Yeah, and Brandy, you'd like to add to that?

- Yeah, I'd like to add something about law enforcement, and that is that a lotta times when law enforcement go to a scene, especially with an LGBTQ couple, they're so used to having the male be the offender and the female the victim, but it's a little bit more confusing for them because they don't know who the offender is and which one is the victim.

They used to arrest both because they didn't know how to determine which one it was and who was telling the truth, so the numbers were higher.

I know that years ago, the numbers were higher until we started doing education about predominant aggressor, educating our law enforcement to, you know, to go through the criteria, who was the predominant aggressor and then distinguishing that from the primary aggressor 'cause the primary aggressor is the one who hits first but the predominary is the one who has the history of violence, so.

- And education is really key in a lot of this, especially with people figuring out what are the signs.

I know that signs can vary for so many people, but, Brandy, do you have any suggestions on what people should be looking out for?

- Well, first of all, whirlwind relationships, when they get into the relationship so fast.

A lot of times, the offenders don't want the victim to know or their partner to know what kind of behavior they have.

And so when I teach classes on dating violence prevention, I always say, "You know, dating is there for a purpose.

It's the time to get to know each other and get to know how the other person reacts to different situations."

But financial abuse is one of them, one of the highest.

But the thing is is that people don't realize that if sometimes it happens, a fight happens before the victim is getting ready to get a test, a college test and doesn't show up for the test or a job interview, and that's another form of financial abuse.

- Oh, wow.

Well, this season on "Utah Insight," we're including student voices in our episodes.

Here's a question from Enrriqueta Rojas, who is in the Ute Storytelling Group at Uintah River High School.

- Why aren't women who are involved in domestic violence not getting justice?

- And that is a very complex question, kind of hard to answer, but Jen, can you take a stab at some of the hurdles that women have to go through when they're seeking justice in the legal system?

- Yeah, I mean, some of the things we were talking about earlier, COVID impacted when cases were being heard.

In fact, like, there's so much backlog of those pieces, which is also really frustrating.

But it's a complex system.

I think having people come forward and understanding it and navigating that is often really overwhelming.

I think one of the things that we see with education for advocates that are helping individuals as well is to understand the system because I think when people start engaging in the justice system, we all have different expectations, and unfortunately, it is slow and it moves very slowly.

And who stays in control of that?

The victim isn't always kind of guiding that.

Often, it is the prosecutor or others that are stepping in now and calling these cases.

And so what they are seeing are their expectations are often not met because they don't know for sure what that process will look like.

And so they may engage the first time and then they may not come back again because it didn't progress in the way they wanted.

And so I think one of the pieces that I see is really needed and we continue to try to do is to educate and understand so that we can message and help them see that it is a long process, it's a worthwhile process, and there's definitely reasons to engage, but it does take a long time to kinda navigate those pieces.

And the outcome is, again, sometimes not always in their control, and so that's also, I think, one of those pieces that we always hope to change and improve but also to help people understand those barriers that they're facing, even engaging.

- And I stated in that question women, but men as well face hurdles as well in the legal system while trying to seek justice.

There were more than half a dozen bills and amendments passed during the last legislative session, something to celebrate a little bit, pertaining to domestic violence.

Let's take a look at the "Utah Insight" Bill Tracker.

The bills range from increasing protection for victims, creating a set standard for lethality assessments, to expanding resources and funding for people who need help.

Jakey, I know your organization was a huge advocate for some of those bills, some of those laws that were passed.

But what does this mean for victims?

- You know, I think the lethality assessment is something that we use when we're working with survivors to kind of gauge the danger level of what it could rise to.

And so, you know, we'll ask them various amount of questions of, you know, whether they used a weapon, the perpetrator used a weapon, did they choke them.

You know, when there is choking or strangling, that is a higher chance of a homicide, and so, you know, their level of danger increases.

You know, I remember, last year, I had gone to an ER for a survivor who had just fled a situation, and the law enforcement did not use a LAP assessment, or the lethality assessment.

And so, you know, this new amendment or bill that passed will now require Salt Lake PD to do this assessment.

You know, I think it's crucial that we don't just assume when we walk into a room that, you know, the survivor asked for it or how did they get themselves in that situation, they shouldn't have gone back.

I think it's really important to see them first and understand their danger.

I know the other bill that was worked on this last session was about the lease termination.

So many of my clients or survivors are not able to find housing.

I do a lot of homeless outreach.

You can ask so many of the people that are unhoused in this city.

They are going through domestic violence, or they are now on the street due to domestic violence because when you have to flee a situation and leave with six months remaining of your lease, now you have six months of rent to pay.

You also have kids to feed, and you have to heal and try to empower yourselves.

And so with rent increasing and housing insecurity happening all across the state and especially in the county, we're really under-resourced.

(chuckles) That's just to be frank.

We really don't have enough resources for survivors.

And, you know, I think housing is a human right, and especially for survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence, it's crucial because of the many, many barriers that they now have because of that violence situation.

- And Jen, advocacy work done by your coalition also helped led to the passage of a lotta these bills and new laws.

Can you share what that means?

- Yeah, it's hope.

I think it was a very hopeful session, which is sometimes hard to say after sessions 'cause they're a bit overwhelming.

It's very hard.

You know, we saw the Governor and Lieutenant Governor voices come into this work in a way that has always been needed, and we are so grateful for that, and setting a priority and having these conversations, and they're not easy conversations, and unfortunately, often, wrapped around a lot of hurt and a lot of pain.

Yet I was so impressed by the importance of having these conversations and putting these as priority bills and looking at funding.

The lease amendment, it was so important to us because we heard from survivors and we knew that they were losing housing, and we couldn't agree more is that they need that support.

And then having a shared language and a shared risk assessment with law enforcement is something that we've been striving for since 2015, and so we're so excited to see that, and it's a shift and a change.

I've been traveling across the state, meeting with law enforcement over the last few months, having these conversations and seeing them begin to understand why that's so important.

We have about half the agencies using it right now, and they're our biggest advocates in the room.

If they've used it, they know it's important.

And now seeing that, I know we'll save lives and reduce violence.

We know that that will happen, and that, like I said, is just very hopeful.

- And one of the things that I'd like to add to that is that there will be a database created to keep track of that so that they can share it with the administration of the courts, and that's so critical because I've worked with law enforcement across the state and some of them will use the assessment and some of 'em just refuse to use it, and so now it's mandated.

- That's amazing.

Well, through the art of words, one Utah woman has turned her trauma into triumph.

"Utah Insight's'" RaeAnn Christensen introduces us to a local poet who is rising above the darkness of abuse and embracing a future filled with hope and advocacy.

- If you put me in a box, it'll be a very heavy cross for you to carry on your lifelong journey.

The process of writing, it can be so soothing.

It can be eye-opening.

- [RaeAnn] Michaelle Martial, the Caribbean Nightingale, found her love for words and poetry in Haiti as a teenager.

As her path unfolded, it led her to the U.S. where her passion for writing continued.

- I'm not your shiny toy.

Though I'm here to bring Black joy.

- [RaeAnn] But as the demands of life took over, her poetic expressions gradually dwindled away.

- Sometimes as women, we tend to forget ourselves easily, you know, for the sake of the family or for the kids.

- [RaeAnn] Her disconnection from her creative self stemmed not only from the demands of motherhood, but also from the emergence of an abusive relationship.

- It wasn't something that happened overnight.

It was a slow process until you don't recognize yourself anymore.

- [RaeAnn] Michaelle says she felt very isolated and believed her voice would be unheard by those around her.

- I remember thinking clearly, "Who would believe that so and so is being verbally abusive to me or hit me that one time?

Who would believe that?"

I didn't feel the support, so I was like, "Okay, then maybe I'll just stick it, you know, make it work."

- [RaeAnn] Unfortunately, she says it was a heart-wrenching tragedy that served as her wake up call.

- When my youngest daughter passed away in her sleep, it gave me a new perspective on life.

And I remember thinking, "I don't have to put up with this anymore.

Life is not meant to be this hard."

I'm not going to fit in it just because it's lit in it.

- [RaeAnn] Michaelle found solace in poetry once again, using its power to navigate the challenging times, including breaking free from an unhealthy relationship.

- That's the way that my brain could cope with that heavy loss and grief.

I'm not a toy you can play with.

And it helped me open up to myself to the point where I could open up to a professional therapist, you know, a counselor.

Poetry helped me get there.

- [RaeAnn] Now a published author, poet, and skilled cook, Michaelle's aspirations are to help others who may be struggling with their own challenges.

Her upcoming venture, Poetry on Main, is set to open this summer, and it's a unique gift shop and poetry lounge that aims to showcase BIPOC and LGBTQ artists and artisans.

- It is a safe space, especially for those populations, but everyone is welcome.

- [RaeAnn] She also hopes her story will help others develop a deeper understanding for those dealing with domestic violence.

- If I come up to you and say, "Hey, I don't feel right about this," or, "My spouse did this, it doesn't feel quite right," don't dismiss it.

First, listen before giving advice because sometimes that's all we need, you know, to be validated and feel like we matter because all day long, what we hear is we don't matter.

I create art that transcends borders and heals hearts needing mending at last.

- Brandy, you've been an advocate nearly four decades.

What would you say to someone who's watching this who feels like they don't matter and they've lost hope?

- Everyone has the right to live a safe and peaceful life, and my advice to you is reach out and first, reach out and get help or just tell someone because the more that you tell other people, the easier it gets for you to reach out and call 911 when it happens, so.

And know that there are resources out there.

Even if you can't get into a shelter, there are many advocates out there, and I just say we all should work together and not work in silos to help our victims.

So get help.

- Absolutely.

- Break the silence.

- The Gender-Based Violence Consortium at the University of Utah published a report that compares sexual violence and domestic violence rates by race in Utah.

You can see in the far right corner of the table that the rates are higher for Black people, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and people who identify with more than one race.

Jakey, we see those numbers once again.

What aren't we seeing behind the numbers?

- You know, I think that that's a sad reality that we do live in.

Utah is one of the highest states for murdered indigenous relatives, women, children, two-spirit individuals.

And many of those actions and this assault or domestic violence is happening from non-Natives.

I don't know the exact statistics, but I know it's, you know, around like 70% of white individuals who are the perpetrator in these, you know, on the reservation and things like that.

I think there's so many cultural barriers of, specifically, I'll speak to the Pacific Islander community where domestic violence is so alive on the islands and here, and it's very taboo to talk about violence.

We don't talk about it.

You protect the name, protect the culture.

And so a lot of the work that we have to do is kind of deconstruct that with survivors that we work with but also when we're working towards their empowerment and their healing, really taking advantage of their culture, who is behind them, whose shoulders are they standing on, because there's so much empowerment when using someone's culture and identity and background to help them find healing.

- Absolutely.

While we're on the topic, we have one more student question that we wanna get to, coming from Roosevelt.

- My name's Latisa, and my question is why aren't we putting more effort in into finding our missing murdered indigenous women?

- And, Jen, can you speak to that?

- Well, I think there's been some movement in our state in the legislative sessions as well and forming a task force and looking at that.

And one of the pieces that I think is hard, and I really appreciate the question 'cause I feel like I have this question all the time, is it is under-resourcing and not looking at data.

I think one of the pieces that are really missing is when we have these conversations, is being intentional in that, intentional in the space of funding this work and looking at, again, that data piece because some of the questions that we hear is that as we call for more our action in these areas, "Well, tell us the numbers," or "Tell us the resources," you know, and it's a barrier, and it's a block.

But also it makes me always pause to say, "Why are we not looking for these numbers?

Why are we not trying to name this and own it?"

And so I think we're shifting in that.

I think there's movement that's happening there, and I think all are welcome in that space.

I know Restoring Ancestral Winds, the State Coalition has been really working in spearheading this as well, but I think all are needed.

- Thank you.

Well, at the beginning of the show, I shared with everyone that on average, about 20 people are abused each minute.

That equates to nearly 480 people since the beginning of this episode.

If we could go around the table and just share resources or recommendations of how people can get involved to help people get out of domestic violence, domestic abuse situations.

Jakey, starting with you.

- I think my biggest thing that I always tell people is that we should all approach every relationship and community with a trauma-informed lens.

And so what that looks like is connecting, respecting, and protecting any person that you come across because, you know, whether they're a survivor or not, if you're making that connection, they feel protected and they also feel respected by you, they will come forward to you, you know, if they are experiencing violence.

You can find more information at pik2ar.org if you wanna get involved with Pacific Islanders.

- Thank you.

Jen?

- Yeah, we all play a role in stopping violence, so everyone does.

And I think that is recognizing, understanding what it is, knowing how to respond to someone when they come to you, and referring them to amazing resources that exist in our state.

And I think that's the piece that we can play.

Plus, so many of this work has done by amazing nonprofits, and so I always tell everyone, "Your time, your money, and your donations also work to stop violence."

Programs need your help and support.

- And, Brandy, we have a few seconds left.

- We have a program called Creative Healing for Survivors, and it's very empowering for a survivor to be able to create a work of art and have it displayed because we display them.

But I also want to tell those offenders that are out there listening that there are only, what causes domestic violence?

It's a choice.

My son is the one who taught me that because he chose not to be abusive after experiencing it.

And there's only two choices, to abuse or not to abuse.

Choose not to abuse.

- All right, thank you so much for being here today.

Next week, we're gonna be talking about gun violence, and we want you to weigh in.

You can contact us using any of the methods on your screen and answer our weekly question or share a question that you may have for the panel.

But until next time, I'm Liz Adeola, and thank you so much for watching "Utah Insight."

(pensive music) (pensive music continues)