A women strangles her baby because she is addicted to heroin. She is unable to support her baby and her habit. She has no family to turn to. So she leaves her unnamed baby to die in a dumpster.
Another women in Florida shoots herself in her stomach in order to kill her unborn baby because she could not afford an abortion. She tries to get help from the father, but he avoids her.
Meanwhile in Los Angeles, a woman lives in the shadow of her ex-husband who abused her for years while millions adored him. She goes to court to get help, but the only sentence he’ll receive is over the phone counseling. She ends up dead with her ex-husband being the main and only suspect.
These are some of the recent headlines to appear in newspapers. All giving the same message—a woman needed help but did not receive it, and tragedy was the end result.
The names of the women in the above headlines could have been used, but unfortunately those women are not the only people who find themselves in trouble with nobody to help.
Women in crisis, that seems like the only coverage a female can get in the news media. Why doesn’t the news focus on women getting help? When was the last time a women’s advocacy group received coverage?
The media in general spends too much time focusing on the gory aspects of violence. The media is more likely to show a woman’s corpse than a woman standing up to her abuser or own self-destructing problem. In an August issue of Time, the magazine covered murder in America. While the magazine showed several crime scenes and told of numerous chilling murder investigations, it offered no option for persons in need to turn to.
Even more so, the media does not offer preventive solutions to its consumers unless a major catastrophe happens.
Here are some basic solutions to help solve this problem:
For every murder reported, mention a birth. For every picture of a bloody crime scene or injured person, print a picture of a wedding or of a sunny day.
These may sound corny, but there are several realistic ideas that could be implemented by the media.
For example, how about every time a newspaper, periodical, television news or radio show mentions abuse and violent crime, it offers a list of crisis centers in the area for people who may find themselves in a similar situation.
Women in the La Verne area have several places to turn, although many who consume the media would not even be aware of these places. Here are three places for women to turn to if they find themselves in a situation similar to the one described above.
The Pomona Community Crisis Center provides help for not only women, but any adult who finds themself in need. They offer drug counseling for adults and domestic violence classes. They also have a referral program for shelters for homeless persons and abused women. Their 24-hour line is (909) 623-1588.
In Covina, Options—The Family Center is a local referral, counseling and family planning center. Although its main target is women, it also caters to family counseling. The center is funded through grants and the Theresa Saldana Association.
Also in Covina and Pomona is WINGS (Women In Need to Grow Stronger). Started in 1978 by volunteers, the YWCA group offers shelter, counseling and referral services for women and children in abusive homes. They have an office at the Pomona courthouse for women who need help with filing restraining orders. Their 24-house hotline is (818) 967-0658.
The media does not murder people, nor does it abuse women, but it offers no solutions for people in violent relationships or violent people themselves needing help. By mentioning places to get aid, maybe persons who find themselves in need can heal.
