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Anti-violence efforts focus on helping deaf, Latino groups | wausaudailyherald.com | Wausau Daily Herald
Local police, first responders and counselors will learn in coming weeks how to deal with domestic violence issues in two local minority populations in Wausau -- the deaf and Latino communities.
The Women's Community, a Wausau organization that helps victims of domestic abuse, will sponsor two training sessions about violence in the deaf and Latino communities as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence recently released a report showing that 67 people were killed in domestic violence incidents last year -- the highest total since the organization began collecting data in 2000.
Those numbers include two central Wisconsin women -- Robin Dunwoody, 31, of Wausau, and Cynthia Tyler, 43, of Stratford. And police in central Wisconsin investigated hundreds more abuse incidents that did not end in death.
Zoe Nylund, domestic abuse coordinator for The Women's Community, said her agency doesn't specifically track the number of domestic violence incidents involving deaf people, but it has worked with and heard of more incidents in recent years involving victims who are hard of hearing.
More than 500 people who are hard of hearing live in the Wausau area, said Alice Sykora, a founder of the Madison-based group Deaf Unity, which advocates against violence in the deaf community. Members of Deaf Unity will host a day-long training service Tuesday for police and emergency responders on the challenges of communicating with deaf people and the importance of having resources available for those people.
Sykora, who herself is hard of hearing, said deaf people -- just like those who can hear -- often become emotional or stressed after domestic abuse situations. Emergency responders sometimes think a victim is threatening because her sign language gestures are more animated, Sykora said.
Another training program will be held Nov. 10 in Wausau about Latino victims of domestic violence. Nylund said it is important for police, counselors and social workers to let Latinos know that they have a right to be safe from domestic violence regardless of their immigration status.
"A lot of victims feel they can't report domestic abuse because of their legal status," Nylund said. "We work with them to teach them about their rights."
Local police, first responders and counselors will learn in coming weeks how to deal with domestic violence issues in two local minority populations in Wausau -- the deaf and Latino communities.
The Women's Community, a Wausau organization that helps victims of domestic abuse, will sponsor two training sessions about violence in the deaf and Latino communities as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence recently released a report showing that 67 people were killed in domestic violence incidents last year -- the highest total since the organization began collecting data in 2000.
Those numbers include two central Wisconsin women -- Robin Dunwoody, 31, of Wausau, and Cynthia Tyler, 43, of Stratford. And police in central Wisconsin investigated hundreds more abuse incidents that did not end in death.
Zoe Nylund, domestic abuse coordinator for The Women's Community, said her agency doesn't specifically track the number of domestic violence incidents involving deaf people, but it has worked with and heard of more incidents in recent years involving victims who are hard of hearing.
More than 500 people who are hard of hearing live in the Wausau area, said Alice Sykora, a founder of the Madison-based group Deaf Unity, which advocates against violence in the deaf community. Members of Deaf Unity will host a day-long training service Tuesday for police and emergency responders on the challenges of communicating with deaf people and the importance of having resources available for those people.
Sykora, who herself is hard of hearing, said deaf people -- just like those who can hear -- often become emotional or stressed after domestic abuse situations. Emergency responders sometimes think a victim is threatening because her sign language gestures are more animated, Sykora said.
Another training program will be held Nov. 10 in Wausau about Latino victims of domestic violence. Nylund said it is important for police, counselors and social workers to let Latinos know that they have a right to be safe from domestic violence regardless of their immigration status.
"A lot of victims feel they can't report domestic abuse because of their legal status," Nylund said. "We work with them to teach them about their rights."