KINGSVILLE, Texas — First Baptist Church in Kingsville held a training session Monday focused on how to assist survivors of domestic violence.
Spotting someone who has been impacted by domestic violence may not be as simple as seeing a bruise. Experts say that abuse can come in many forms including intimidation and even isolation.
Kathy Kimball, President of Kleberg County's End Domestic Violence Task Force, said cases that involve domestic violence hit closer to home for law officials there.
"Domestic violence calls are the most dangerous ones for our police department," Kimball said. "As those in our area know, that we lost an officer in November last year."
Some people who attended Monday's event were survivors themselves. Task Force Vice President Jennifer Radcliffe spoke about how there is more to trauma than the physical aspect.
"It's about controlling and having power over another human being," Radcliffe said.
While there are no clear signs to tell if someone is struggling with domestic violence, Radcliffe said that there are subtle ways to tell if something is wrong. She said above all else, trusting one's intuition can mean the difference in someone's life.
"I would say if you get the little thing in the back of your neck that says something's weird, something probably is weird," Radcliffe said. "And so that's the point where you need to have the conversation to let them know that you're a safe person."
The Task Force's solutions come in the form of a decal -- a visible sign to show survivors that someone is willing to listen to them.
"When someone sees this on a store, on a salon, on a church, they know that someone in that business or organization has been trained to know the resources," Kimball said.
Wanting nothing more than to help those in need, the Task Force vision revolves around the idea of informing others about what their options are in dire situations.
"It's a church and they can say, oh, you know, 'I need to go pick up something down at church, and I'm going to run in there,'" Kimball said. "But I'm going to have a conversation about this. I need some information. I need to know what my options are. Where can I go?"
If residents have any questions regarding services offered by The Purple Door, contact the support center: 361-881-8888.
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