Stopping Domestic Violence in Prince George's County

Prince George's county is the richest community in America that is mostly black. In addition to being known for wealth, however, the county is also known for its record of domestic violence. In 2001, Prince George's county accounted for more than 20 percent of deaths caused by domestic violence in the state. Since 2001, 48 people have died from domestic abuse in the county. Only Baltimore County has had more.

Given this, one would think that Maryland's court system would be quick to offer orders to protect victims of domestic violence. The statistics show otherwise. In 2005, only 61 percent of the final protective orders that were applied for in Prince George's County were granted by the courts. This number is higher than in many other counties; in Charles County, for example, only 29 percent of the orders applied for were granted. Still, not enough is done by the courts to protect the large number of battered women in the county.

There are two types of Final Protective Orders: a protective order and a peace order. The stronger of the two types is the protective order, which, in addition to requiring the abuser to terminate contact with the victim, gives the victim temporary possession of the home and temporarily takes child custody away from the abuser. A peace order is not as strong, but unlike the protective order, it requires that the petitioner show that the act occurred and is likely to occur again. Unfortunately, there are many situations in which a petitioner may only apply for a peace order, not a protective order, and it is not encouraging that the peace order is more difficult to attain and does not protect as well.

The Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (MNADV) is a political lobby group pushing for stronger protection for victims of domestic abuse. One of their priorities is to extend the length of time that a court can issue a protective order. The current maximum is 18 months, but MNADV is pushing for it to be extended to 24 months. While this would strengthen the power of the courts, it would hardly help the issue. MNADV is also attempting to alter the standard of proof for a Final Protective Order, from "clear and convincing evidence" to "preponderance of the evidence." This is a wise course of action. While it is not a mistake to strengthen the orders, the best solution to the domestic abuse problem is to make it easier for victims to get protective orders.

Moreover, domestic violence should be confronted on a psychological front. Psychological studies have shown that abusive men do not like being abusive. Some psychologists suggest that part of the cause is their inability to interpret social data. For example, they may see their partner interacting with another man and assume hostile intent.

Women as well are part of the issue, given that many women who are battered return to their abusers. Unsurprisingly, it is not rare that they are abused again. Women also do not always report being abused. According to Cheryl Banks, a counselor and psychologist with the Sexual Assault Center of Prince George's County Hospital, only 10 percent of women report their sexual assaults to the authorities.

It is the opinion of this newspaper that upon the issuing of a Final Protective Order, both parties should be ordered into counseling - the abuser to anger management and the victim to an appropriate counselor.

Although the domestic abuse problem is at its worst in Prince Georges County, it is not exclusive to one county, If it is to be solved, the change must come from at least the state level. The current laws are not written to protect women as successfully as possible.