Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence - Dove House Shelter

24 HOUR CRISIS LINE: 1-800-618-6523

Trauma



"Trauma refers to experiences or events that by definition are out of the ordinary in terms of their overwhelming nature. They are more than merely stressful - they are shocking, terrifying, and devastating to the victim, resulting in profoundly upsetting feelings of terror, shame, helplessness, and powerlessness."  (Courtois, 1999)

Dove House is Butler County’s only protective shelter for victims of domestic violence and the associated trauma. We open our arms and our shelter as we support all who suffer from trauma, regardless of race, sexual identity, gender, or age. 


 
For over 40 years, Dove House has been working to restore dignity and hope to those whose lives have been marred by domestic violence, one of the most pervasive threats to safety and well-being both nationally and locally. In addition, Dove House provides a 24-hour crisis hotline, advocacy for victims, training to increase self-sufficiency, and a survivors’ support group. Dove House provides educational and outreach programs to both educate the community about the cycle of domestic violence and to give victims the support and courage to seek help.


The Numbers . . .

Within the last year (2022) YWCA Hamilton sheltered approximately 67 families. Of those 67 families, approximately 10% returned to the abuser and  40% of those families left for unsafe housing or another shelter and approximately 50% (34/67) of the families left shelter without safe stable housing. 


In fiscal year 2021, spending per capita on  DV Support Programs:


Ohio spent $.32      Kentucky spent $2.54     Indiana spent $.91


Ohio is LAST in funding domestic violence services compared to all surrounding funded states and reports 80,706 survivors served, 7,793 children supported, 125,908 crisis hotline phone calls answered, and 9,118 survivors sheltered.


We need your support.

One success at a time . . .

For more than ten years, Jane (not her name) had been living with an abuser because he was the father of her child. She made several unsuccessful attempts to leave him but it was especially difficult because the apartment was in her name. She grew more fearful and worried because their five-year-old daughter was now in a world where the abuse was escalating. Finally, Jane was able escape to find safety at Dove House. Jane, with her daughter, lived at the shelter, learning how to rebuild her life. She stayed even though she had a long commute to work as she knew that she desperately needed to keep to her job to be able to afford safe housing. Dove House staff and Rapid Rehousing  worked with Jane to locate a housing unit and to help her with the transition. While in our care, Jane reported that her daughter really looked forward to returning to our shelter each evening. Jane explained that being at Dove House was the first time and she and her daughter were able to experience peace!

Did you know?

 

  • Every 2 ½ minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted.
  • One in three women has been a victim of domestic violence.
  • Twenty-five percent of college women have been raped.
  • Seventy percent of cyberstalking victims are female.
  • Forty percent of teenage girls ages 14 to 17 say they know someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend.
  • More than 5.7 million youth are estimated to be involved in bullying.
  • Homicide is the leading cause of death for all pregnant women.
  • 18,000 to 20,000 of the victims of human trafficking are trafficked into the United States annually.

 

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