According to the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD), an
increase in reported cases of domestic violence (DV) and
intimate partner violence (IPV) has occurred in Kansas City
since the stay-at-home order took effect on March 24. The
order came as part of nationwide shutdowns to help prevent
the spread of the novel Coronavirus, which has also led to
increased cases of unemployment, creating high tensions
and increased opportunities for violence in the home as
spouses and children are staying home from work and
school.
These opportunities are especially prevalent in rural and
lower-income areas, where increased IPV-related emergency
hospitalizations suggest difficulty accessing preventive
safety resources, health insurance, and a lack of
intervention before
violence escalates,
resulting in similarly
higher levels of IPV-
related homicide. In
Kansas City's
"deadliest weekend" of
2020 in August, six
people were killed in
homicides. Some were
the result of domestic
violence disputes — all
were linked to
heightened tensions
from the Coronavirus
and economic
shutdowns.
Decades of
segregation and
redlining along Troost Avenue have created a severe racial
and financial divide in Kansas City as well as a life
expectancy difference of 15 years between neighboring ZIP
codes. Paired with increased unrest between Black residents
and KCPD during recent police brutality and Black Lives
Matter protests, neighborhoods east of Troost are
experiencing a perfect storm for DV and IPV victims as
police and emergency services are less likely to be called.
Because of this, local shelters have seen a dramatic increase
in demand for space and resources including Synergy
Services, who had three shelters operating beyond capacity
back in April. Roach "Ms. E" Ellington, Councilman Brandon
Ellington's mother, has a project nearly 20 years in the
making that has the potential to be one solution.
G.Y.R.L., Giving Yourself Real Love, is a support group for
victims and survivors of violence that extends to all races,
genders, orientations, and ages. The group is currently
working to establish a "village" comprised of shelters,
One of three houses in the G.Y.R.L., Giving Yourself Real Love village.
educational centers, and other resources for survivors and
their children in the 39th block of Kansas City.
G.Y.R.L.'s mission is to break the cycle of domestic violence
by providing safe, supportive services that educate and
empower those impacted by DV and abuse. Ms. E and the
group aim to break down stigmas surrounding DV, especially
regarding how children and families experience and talk
about abuse.
There is a strong "for us, by us" mentality in G.Y.R.L.
cultivated with weekly evening chats with executive
members, volunteers, and neighbors in the streets. After
inquiring about the set of three vibrant purple houses and
the overflowing memorial rose garden that currently make
up the G.Y.R.L. village
and hearing Ms. E's
mission, a curious
passerby laughed, "It's
interesting to see this
work being done in this
neighborhood, but that's
exactly what this area
needs."
Ms. E has been working
with DV survivors since
2000, when she created
Voices of the People to
stand up to police
brutality happening
against her family,
eventually leading her to
work with children in the
D.A.R.E. program at
schools. After realizing she was able to relate to the children
better than some of the other adults in the program, she
started a writing group encouraging the kids to open up
about their experiences at home.
While her project was successful and helped the children to
have open conversations, the subject matter was deemed
too explicit. She stepped away from advocacy work only to
run into one of the children years later, having overcome
her violent childhood and pursued a fulfilling life and career,
encouraging Ms. E to return to her mission.
In her effort to support violence survivors, she was met with
pushback from every group she tried to connect with,
including churches. "They didn't want to hear about their
family's abuse. In the Black community, we live with it." Her
main purpose has always been to "pull away the mask of it
and take away the shame." She says, "We know where the
hospitals are, the jails, everything else. So why not tell
people where they can get domestic violence help?"
Local Domestic
Violence Support
Group Aims to Meet
Increased Demand
for Victim Resources
During Stay at Home
By Elena Cleaves, Contributing Writer
(© diego cervo - stock.adobe.com)
PAGE 09 September/October 2020 PAGE 08 September/October 2020
