There were 11, 766 American women killed during 2001-2012 verses 6,488 American troops killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq war. (Vagianos 2014). Although domestic violence is an epidemic; once you recognize the signs of domestic violence and those abused, we can better understand why Domestic Violence Shelters are needed in the community. Often, women need a place where they feel safe, a place where they can receive help through residential facilities, outreach programs, and or support groups. Domestic Violence Shelters are designed to help empower a person to make positive changes and choices within their life. "Women are 7 to 14 times more likely to report that an intimate partner beat them up, choked or tried to drown them, or make better choices, enabling them to win back their freedom a little at a time. (Tjaden, Patricia & Thoennes, Nancy 2000, 25) .
In order to offer the best services to those that may participate in the program, we considered the neighborhood, ratio of women to men, and the types of community services that are already being offered. To initiate successful interactions with participants in meeting their needs we determined the services that would best benefit individuals is; educational programs, workforce skills, safety measures, counseling, and group therapy sessions. Victims that seek out shelters are likely to be those of financial and emotional [instability], lack education, support mechanisms and the inability to find work. (Saathoff, A., & Stoffel, E. 1999) Many women that stay in abused relationships feel they don't have a choice because they lack certain skills. At the shelter, we will have staff that can assist the participant with qualifying and meeting testing requirements for their GED. For those that have their GED, the shelter can help the participant gain skills for the workforce. The shelter can teach employability skills, soft skills that are needful for today's workforce.
