Sarha's Daughters

Dear Friends, Family and Supporters,

Did, you know that every 20 seconds, someone is a victim of domestic violence.  Domestic violence is "the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and emotional abuse". Although the frequency and severity can vary dramatically; the one constant component of domestic violence is the offender’s consistent efforts to maintain power and control the victim. The impact of domestic violence goes beyond physical injury, psychological trauma and in severe cases death experienced by the related parties, it transcends territorial boundaries by erupting publicly in a manner that threatens to destabilize the socio- economic restoration of whole communities for generations to come. 

 In the past 10 years, Jersey City has experienced an epidemic rise in domestic violence, resulting in the death of some of the targeted victims. However, the lives of children have also been ravaged by death and the physical, emotional, and psychological effects that can cross generations and perpetuate through a lifetime.  In 2020, Black women made up 85% of the estimated1,3 million people victimized by domestic violence. Despite these findings most cases are never reported to the police and most women are victimized by people they profess to love and depend on for financial support, Black women are almost three times as likely to experience death because of Domestic Violence or Intimate Partner Violence than White women. And while Black women only make up 8% of the population, 22% of the deaths that result from DV/IPV happen to Black Women and 29% of all victimized women, making it one of the leading causes of death for Black women ages 15 to 35. The statistics are comparable for Hispanic women. 1 in 3 Latinas have experienced domestic violence in their lifetime. 44% of Latinas under 25 years old know a victim of domestic violence and 49% under 30 know a victim. Latina women are more likely to experience death because of the abuse and as with Black women, often leave young children behind for emotionally and financially unprepared family members.  However due to barriers like anti-immigrant laws, Latinas are 1/2 as likely to report abuse vs survivors from other ethnic/racial groups Since 2020 during the pandemic Jersey City has experienced the impact reflected in these statistics at epidemic proportions where young vibrant economically upwardly mobile women have unequipped family members to care for them without any resources for housing, supplemental income or accessible therapeutic support. Sarah's Daughters recognizes these dynamic and endeavors and has partnered with the Municipal courts, domestic violence program, law enforcement, social workers, and victims to stop domestic violence through community workshops, educational and professional training, proven defense techniques and a solid connection to housing, counseling, and emergency resources. Our domestic violence organization provides advocacy support to policy makers in designing an effective system of review and monitoring to identify signs of domestic violence early on to disrupt its escalation.

Rev. Dr. Bertha Reels, 

President/Founder Sarah’s Daughters DVA