WAUSAU, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – MCDAIT, or the Marathon County Domestic Abuse intervention Team held an open town hall meeting at Northcentral Technical College. The purpose was to engage in conversations related to domestic violence and available resources in the Marathon County area.
Organizations and law enforcement in attendance included Wausau PD’s Victim Resource Unit, Marathon County District Attorney’s Office & Victim Witness, The Women’s Community, Inc., Marshfield Medical Center and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
Panel experts spoke about the organization’s partnership and the importance of a community effort bringing forth the best help collectively for victims. “We know that for victims to be safe and for abusers to hold themselves accountable, and to be held accountable and change their behaviors, that it takes interventions that are not just individuals.” said Shannon Jarecki, the Women’s Community, Inc. Domestic Abuse Program Coordinator.
Medical resources, mental health resources and youth services were among several topics discussed, as it directly relates to domestic violence and victim resources.
Jarecki added that the national average shows around one-in-three or one-in-four women are impacted by domestic violence. She also said the national average is around one-in-six for men, which shows that having open collaborative discussions is a great way to implement change moving forward.
