Spousal abuse seminar aims at awareness

Alyce LaViolette, a therapist and founder of Alternatives to Violence, spoke to a group of Cal State Long Beach students on Wednesday about domestic violence and why women stay in abusive relationships.

LaViolette said in many domestic violence incidents, the anger of abusers is usually aimed at someone other than their mates, although they direct violence toward them as well.

Contrary to what many may think, most women stay in the relationship after the first violent incident, hoping that things will get better, LaViolette said. Others stay because of their financial dependence on their mates or because of their children, she explained.

"As the relationship progresses, there are more emotional and financial ties, and it gets tougher to leave," LaViolette said.

LaViolette said that most women in abusive relationships direct their energy into surviving, making it more difficult to leave.

"Women find different ways they can make the situation better," LaViolette said, "instead of planning for escape."

Different types of violence exists in relationships, including extreme violence and maintenance battering.

An extremely violent situation is when the first act of violence is so harsh that it scares women into letting their abuser control them. Maintenance battering, LaViolette said, is a situation where the severity and incidence of battering remains the same throughout the relationship.

Several students who attended LaViolette's Wednesday lecture, in LA3-110, said they were impressed with her thoughts on the subject. Black-studies and women-studies major Bridget Kepher-Maat said she was impressed with LaViolette's information for women.

"I think it was interesting and very helpful," Kepher-Maat said. "She presented a lot of information that most people don't know about."

Women in abusive relationships who need assistance, can call the Long Beach battered women's 24-hour hotline at (310) 437-4663 or the Alternatives to Violence hotline at (310) 493-1161.