Safety
Women and girls in Monterey County continue to be vulnerable to violence. Economic uncertainty, stigma, fear of deportation, fear of losing their children, insufficient knowledge about community and law enforcement support and lack of education programs to prevent bullying and harassment continue to contribute to unsafe conditions. Many abused women don’t have the means to support themselves or the legal protection to feel safe, and the risks of venturing out on their own outweigh the physical and emotional risks of staying in a violent relationship.
Snapshot of Key Data
- One in every 5.4 adult women in Monterey County has experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner since the age of 18.
- 55% of girls in the 11th grade reported occurrences of harassment based on race, ethnicity or religion; gender; actual or perceived sexual orientation; physical or mental disability; or some other factor.
- Only 35% of local forcible rape cases result in an arrest.
- Many abused women lack employment and don’t have the means to support themselves. They are afraid to venture out on their own, despite the risk of remaining in an abusive situation.
What we heard
Many factors contribute to making women and girls vulnerable to violence:
- Economic uncertainty
- Stigma associated with sexual abuse and domestic violence
- A woman’s fear of deportation and of losing her children
- Lack of knowledge about community and law enforcement support systems to address sexual assault and domestic violence
- Lack of educational programs to prevent bullying and harassment.
Confirmed in Compliance with National