Beth Peters

DALTON, Ga. — An advocate for victims of domestic violence says she is seeing more spouse abuse cases — she believes triggered by layoffs and job cuts in the struggling economy.

“What we see are people that are already in a relationship that’s not so healthy, and then money problems are added onto that,” said Beth Peters, outreach coordinator for Northwest Georgia Family Crisis Center, said. “It may be the thing that really sends it over the top.”

Staff Photo by D. Patrick Harding
Outreach coordinator Beth Peters, left, goes over a list of supplies needed at the womens' shelter with N.W. Georgia Family Crisis Center Assistant Director Katora Printup.

The Dalton metro area, which includes Whitfield and Murray counties, lost about 4,100 jobs in 2008, and could lose another 4,700 in 2009, according to a forecast prepared for the U.S. League of Cities.

The Georgia Department of Labor reported the area’s unemployment rate at 12 percent in January, the highest in the state.

The Family Crisis Center offers domestic violence victim services in Whitfield, Murray and Gordon counties, and Ms. Peters said there’s been an increase in women seeking help or shelter.

When marital strife is joined by financial strain, “it makes it harder for them to cope, and they have a hard time managing their anger,” she said.

In the last three months of 2008, the number of nights victims spent in her organization’s emergency shelter jumped 22 percent compared to the previous year, she said, and the shelter was at 126 percent capacity in December.

A bad economy may affect the victim after escaping an abusive relationship too.

The abuser is typically controlling, she said. The victim is “not allowed to work, socialize with friends and family, or gain skills,” Ms. Peters explained, so when the woman gets out, she’s often unemployed.

“As recently as last year, it was easier for them to obtain the employment needed to provide a safe, violence-free home for their children. With today’s unemployment rate, finding that ‘ideal job’ is near impossible,” she said.

District Attorney Kermit McManus said it’s hard to tell yet if the economic downturn is resulting in more criminal cases.

“Domestic abuse does cross socioeconomic lines and is exacerbated by external forces,” he said. “Alcohol, stress and finances can exacerbate a bad situation.”

His office’s domestic violence unit for 12 years has helped victims get restraining orders or go through the prosecution process, and his team averages prosecuting 475 domestic violence cases a year in Whitfield County.

But Mr. McManus said overall crime is down because people are moving away to find work.

“A decline in population growth means a decline in crime as well,” he said.

Whitfield Sheriff Scott Chitwood said deputies answered more domestic violence calls in 2008 than usual, but it was not necessarily the economy to blame.

The Dalton Police Department actually saw domestic violence calls drop by half, Police Chief Jason Parker said. He doesn’t know why, he said, but for three years the calls have trended down.

“Reported crime tends to run in cycles,” Chief Parker said. “It’s always possible that an upward trend may be in the future for all reported crimes.”