COMMENTARY: Domestic violence ranking a grim reminder

South Carolina earned well-deserved praise earlier this year by enacting new laws aimed at stemming the tide of domestic violence against women, but a new ranking serves as a grim reminder there’s so much left to be done to keep women safe in our state.

The state again ranks No. 1 in deadly violence against women — for the fourth time since the national Violence Policy Center began publishing the ranking 18 years ago. South Carolina ranked No. 2 last year and has been in the top 10 annually. Greenville County, sadly, has the highest incidence of domestic violence in South Carolina.

While Gov. Nikki Haley signed the Domestic Violence Bill into law in June to improve protections for victims and stiffen penalties for offenders and she has created the Domestic Violence Task Force, which is making dozens of recommendations designed to improve victim services and make the system more victim-friendly, more can be done outside of Columbia.

To achieve the ultimate goal of ending the cycle of domestic violence, we need to work together to change the culture that has allowed violence against women to persist for so long. The good news is that this can happen, and a new effort is already under way here in Greenville that illustrates the power of community partnerships.

On Aug. 13, 77 middle and high school counselors and administrators learned how to recognize and respond to signs of teen dating violence, all thanks to a partnership between Safe Harbor, Piedmont Natural Gas and Greenville County School District.

This training was part of the “Train the Trainer” pilot program funded by a grant from Piedmont.

Since then, this initial group has trained 265 teachers, and Greenville County Schools Superintendent Burke Royster has set a goal of having all faculty trained by the end of the school year.

The results have been positive, with many teachers learning for the first time about available resources such as Safe Harbor’s Relationship Education Project (REP) program, which teaches students about healthy relationships. Since the training started, nine new Greenville County schools have brought REP programs to their students.

As one teacher put it: “The training is a great resource for the community and for young people.”

These community-level education and outreach efforts targeting youth are critical to breaking the cycle of domestic violence. Replacing a culture of shameful complacency and silence with a culture of awareness and accountability requires an all-in effort from Gov. Haley and every conscientious adult in South Carolina.

One recommendation of the program would require state professional licensing boards to incorporate domestic violence training into their licensing procedures. Many professionals in health care and other occupations come into contact with victims, but most are not trained to help.

Think of the difference we could make if every teacher and school counselor — and thousands of licensed professionals — knew how to recognize and respond to signs of domestic violence with appropriate action.

All adults have a vital role to play in this culture shift. Parents must talk to their teenagers, their teenagers’ friends, and their friends’ teenagers — and have an open dialogue about healthy relationships. Never underestimate the value of having that conversation or your ability to impact the next generation. Victims often will seek a safe ear in a trusting adult.

So much more must be done to make South Carolina a place where women are safe. It’s a job we all need to own.

Becky Callaham is executive director of Safe Harbor, a Greenville-based nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing domestic violence and helping victims. Jane Lewis-Raymond is senior vice president and chief legal, compliance and external relations officer of Piedmont Natural Gas. Rob Rhodes is director of school counseling services for Greenville County School District.