Organizations Work to End Domestic Abuse in the Twin Ports

Advocates say domestic violence is happening the Northland much more than people realize

SUPERIOR, Wis. – When women leave domestic violence situations their chance of dying increases by 75%. That’s according to the Center Against Sexual and Domestic Abuse in Superior, also known as CASDA.

CASDA staff tell us domestic violence is happening in the Twin Ports much more than people realize. They say it happens to people of all economic, racial, and cultural backgrounds.

CASDA provided domestic abuse services to 112 people in Douglas and Bayfield Counties in 2017.

Among other resources, they have an emergency shelter for families to stay up to forty-five days.

They tell us it can be very difficult for people to notice they’re in an abusive relationship, especially one without physical violence.

Abuse warning signs include controlling behavior, possessiveness, and threats.

They say the average woman will leave an abuser seven times before they leave for good.

“When the perpetrator of violence starts to lose control, and they are already unpredictable in nature, it’s really difficult to assess how you’re going to keep yourself safe,” said Melissa Hellerud-Storie, the Domestic Abuse Program Coordinator at CASDA.

Meanwhile, the Domestic Abuse Intervention Program in Downtown Duluth has become internationally recognized for the “Duluth Model.”

It’s a way of getting systems working together to better help victims.

The organization works with about 250 men every year in their rehabilitation program.

They say most of the men they see don’t go back into the criminal or civil court system within eight years of finishing the process.

“If I ask guys what do you want out of a relationship, [they say] I want trust, I want commitment, I want love. And then we look at the board with all the stuff that they’ve been doing and say is this going to get you that? And they all [say] no it’s not going to get me what I want. So then if it isn’t going to get you what you want are you open to another way of thinking about this, and that’s a seven month process,” explained Scott Miller, the Co-Executive Director at the Domestic Abuse Intervention Program.

His organization continues to work with victims to update their program and make it effective as patterns of abuse change over time.

Advocates say much more work must be done to end domestic violence.

One CASDA employee tells us it starts with valuing women and their voices and believing them when they report abuse.