Giving Voice to Domestic Violence as a Health Issue

Women struggling with the problems of poverty, abuse, and limited access to health care form a growing and terribly at-risk portion of our population. Reaching out to that audience to help them find resources and gain control of their lives is the goal of an innovative outreach program called Trapped in Poverty, Trapped by Abuse and Trapped by Poor Health being carried out by WJAB and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
The project partners, both located on the campus of Alabama A&M University, joined forces after hearing about the Sound Partners grant program. Trapped already had its start under the Extension's Urban Initiatives program, but the project coordinator, Marilyn Simpson-Johnson, L.M.F.W., was eager to partner with a radio station to give voice to the problems of poor and abused women. Another important partner in the project is the Central North Alabama Health Center, a clinic that provides free, comprehensive health care to poor families. The Center has provided experts for WJAB's programming and distributes flyers about the project in its clinics. The Trapped project, in turn, helps publicize the Center's services. The project sees domestic violence as a very important health care issue for women.
To date, WJAB-FM has produced six 30-minute radio programs and a number of PSAs exploring the issue of abuse and how it relates to both welfare reform and access to health care. A recent broadcast featured a representative from Hope Place who works with the Huntsville Police Department to answer calls involving domestic violence. The guest, herself a survivor of an abusive relationship, was able to give listeners a real feeling of the terror and trauma involved in working with families in the midst of domestic violence.
A call-in segment following the interviews provides what Simpson-Johnson feels is the most valuable part of the project. "During the call-ins, we have a real forum, where we can respond to people's questions and have a real dialogue," she says.
Targeting those affected by poverty and domestic violence is a difficult task, so the project has used many non-traditional means of reaching out to the public. Information about Trapped is distributed in local malls and community centers via eye-catching, life-sized cutouts of a woman and two children. The project has also produced the Sanity Saver, a pocket-sized directory that lists the names and phone numbers of local agencies a woman can call for help if she has to leave her home quickly. Small enough to tuck into a bra or a shoe, the directory includes a slot to hold coins for making calls from a pay phone. Sanity Savers are being distributed through several social service agencies.
The Trapped project uses active performances as a way of raising awareness, too. Rule of Thumb, a short play about domestic violence, tells the stories of three women from different socioeconomic backgrounds who are in court seeking protection orders. The play is presented in communities throughout the state, with each performance followed by an audience discussion. At a recent performance of Rule of Thumb in Decatur, Alabama, the audience began talking about recognizing the early signs of domestic abuse, such as destruction of property or abuse of a family pet.
More in-depth information is available through workshops sponsored by the Trapped project. These workshops are tailored to the community's needs—some address Spanish speakers or new immigrants, while others are designed for people working in social services. In the workshops, women are made aware of information such as the special entitlements for people who apply for welfare because of domestic violence or the new federal initiative that makes it easier for a woman to change her Social Security number if she is fleeing an abusive partner.
Working together on the Trapped project continues to be successful for both partners. Marilyn Simpson-Johnson, a Family Welfare Extension Educator, says she has a new respect for the technical expertise that goes into radio production. For Elizabeth Sloan-Ragland, Director of Telecommunications for WJAB, it's an eye-opening experience on many levels. "This is the first time we really focused on an issue and had the funding to do it," she says. "It has galvanized my staff; everyone wants to be involved, to volunteer or do something."
The result of this collaboration at Alabama A&M may be long lasting. Sloan-Ragland is looking at creating a course on civic journalism within the telecommunications department. "I realize the importance," she says. "And I think we can teach students how to report and inform in a balanced way that gives more to the community."
For more information, contact Elizabeth Sloan-Ragland at WJAB, (256) 851-5790 or Marilyn Simpson-Johnson of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System at (256) 858-4961.