Post by lace on Nov 18, 2006 21:03:48 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]Domestic Violence Report Now Includes Suicides [/glow] 
SALT LAKE CITY A new domestic violence report released Thursday, which includes suicide data for the first time, shows 65 people died in domestic violence-related incidents in 2005.
The report shows that 10 men and 11 women died in domestic violence-related homicides while 44 others committed suicide. All the homicide suspects were male, according to the report by the Utah Department of Health.
The health department received a federal grant allowing it to begin incorporating suicides into its report.
“It has to have a direct correlation. One of the circumstances (with a suicide) must either be violence or the threat of violence,” said Teresa Brechlin, intentional injury prevention coordinator for the Utah Department of Health.
Of the 44 people who committed suicide, 42 were male and two were female. In addition, 41 percent were substance abusers, 29 percent had a recent legal problem and 24 percent had mental health problems.
“The surprising thing was the actual number of suicides. We had nothing to compare it to. We had never seen a state report suicide related to domestic violence before. We had no idea how staggering the numbers would be,” she said.
Between 2000 and 2002, the most recent year for which statistics are available, Utah averaged 18 domestic violence-related homicides, Brechlin said.
The circumstances surrounding the homicides included lovers’ triangles, arguments over money or property and mental illness. In some instances, the victim was killed trying to intervene on behalf of another person.
Brechlin said the report should be used to look at the circumstances surrounding each death and implement new policies to help prevent similar occurrences in the future.
kutv.com/topstories/local_story_320230503.html
SALT LAKE CITY A new domestic violence report released Thursday, which includes suicide data for the first time, shows 65 people died in domestic violence-related incidents in 2005.
The report shows that 10 men and 11 women died in domestic violence-related homicides while 44 others committed suicide. All the homicide suspects were male, according to the report by the Utah Department of Health.
The health department received a federal grant allowing it to begin incorporating suicides into its report.
“It has to have a direct correlation. One of the circumstances (with a suicide) must either be violence or the threat of violence,” said Teresa Brechlin, intentional injury prevention coordinator for the Utah Department of Health.
Of the 44 people who committed suicide, 42 were male and two were female. In addition, 41 percent were substance abusers, 29 percent had a recent legal problem and 24 percent had mental health problems.
“The surprising thing was the actual number of suicides. We had nothing to compare it to. We had never seen a state report suicide related to domestic violence before. We had no idea how staggering the numbers would be,” she said.
Between 2000 and 2002, the most recent year for which statistics are available, Utah averaged 18 domestic violence-related homicides, Brechlin said.
The circumstances surrounding the homicides included lovers’ triangles, arguments over money or property and mental illness. In some instances, the victim was killed trying to intervene on behalf of another person.
Brechlin said the report should be used to look at the circumstances surrounding each death and implement new policies to help prevent similar occurrences in the future.
kutv.com/topstories/local_story_320230503.html