Pace 15

Page 17

A Short Story con't from Page 5

Her children, where were they now? When she had become too weak to get out of her bed they placed her in a nursing home. "A dump, a human garbage disposal! Damn them!"

They did not come to see her; the guilt was too much for them to bear.

Suddenly she felt life slipping from her tenacious grasp, each breath becoming a little more shallow, her eyes could no longer focus. She sensed the presence of a figure A dark standing by her bedside.

shadow filled the room. Soft damp fingers administered the stations of the cross, touching her forehead, then each side of her chest. She thought that it must be the priest. A gentle hand wiped the tears from her cheek. She felt as though she were standing outside the room, watching the figure clothed in black murmur an indecipherable prayer. From a distance now further away, she saw him take her hand and she heard him say in a consoling voice, "...for through your children you will live on.

A cold chill came over the room, the frail figure had ceased to breathe, still clenching the knotted handkerchief tightly between her

fingers. The priest closed her eyes tenderly. As he left the room softly closing the door behind him, he thought he heard someone in the room screaming, "DAMN THEM! DAMN YOU!

DAMN ALL OF YOU!"

Harrisburg Area Women's News

October, 1979

HOPE FOR VICTIMS

by Barbara A. Graham

On Monday, July 17, 1979, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously voted out of committee SB's 745 and 744 which would establish a state office on crime victims. The next day the bills received first consideration before the Senate. Senate bill 745 was introduced on May 7, 1979, by Senator Michael. O'Pake, D-Reading, at an early morning press conference. This piece of legislation would set up a funding source for agencies that provide services to victims of sexual assault and domestic abuse; such agencies are facing current and future funding problems, and many will be forced to cut back severely on service provision or close their doors. Senator O'Pake said, "I believe it's about time that the state recognizes the importance of such programs (rape crisis centers, victim witness programs, domestic abuse shelters) and lend what resources it can."

The funds channeled through the Office on Crime Victims would result from a $5.00 increase in the marriage license fee, as written in companion bill SB 744, and a $10 additional fine on anyone convicted of a crime or who pleads guilty or nolo contendre.

Working Mothers: con't from Page 15

and development, guidance and nurturance how that individual feels about nurturing and being nurtured. I think these issues are something that we can all relate to whether we have the same life experience as the person or not.

Recent studies show that there is no inherently qualitative difference between the parenting by a male or a female. Do you find this is true?

I would agree with that. think that men are able to give nurturance and take care of young children just as ably as women. There are differences in how they will approach problems; however, I think they are just as able to be a good single parent. What, if any, impact do you think that studies of this sort will have on family structure?

I think that it might afford men in the future more options. It will be a long time before it will easily come about for a man to opt to devote his time to family life as well as a career or maybe just family life.. It would allow more freedom for the men and women. Do you feel that our daughters will face many of the same problems that we have been talking about?

I think so. I think they may be less intense, but the social change is not going to happen that rapidly.

Many of the young female children that I observe are being socialized in much the same way that you and I were socialized.

What solutions can you offer for some of these problems?

I don't know if there are solutions per se but there is movement towards solutions and there is movement toward what it will take any particular family unit to get what they need for each member of the family to live a reasonably happy and productive life. One of the main things that I say to all families is that they keep communication systems open between them. other words, there should be no one family member who is submitting to the needs of the family while foregoing his or her needs. family is stressed you are going to have some kind of adaptive response to the stress. It just has to happen.

If a

If a woman desperately wants to work or to go back to school then the family unit, hopefully and ideally, supports her and makes it easier for her to do these things rather than making it more difficult which frequently is the initial response. If she holds her position and continues on her trajectory, they will adapt, and it will frequently come out well in the end. But there is a lot of stress while you are getting there.

The office would be located in the Attorney General's office and governed by a board of eleven members, comprised of two representatives from each category of service providers, one victim, a law enforcement official, a representative of the Department of Welfare, and a member of the House and Senate. The board will establish guidelines, receive funding proposals, disperse funds, and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of those programs funded. Service providers can apply for a maximum of 75% of their total budget.

Domestic violence shelters served over 29,000 victims during 1978, and projected estimates approach 50,000 victims during 1979. Rape crisis centers provided assistance to 3500 victims in 1978, and for the first 8 months of 1979 aided

2300 persons. Both types of programs have found that children are increasingly in need of help; approximately 42% of the sexual assault victims were under the age of 18 and 19,000 of the 29,000 persons in shelters were children.

Senator O'Pake stated further, "State involvement is indicated, I believe, by the seriousness of the problem. While major studies have been made in reducing the incidence of violent crimes in Pennsylvania, rape and domestic violence continues. to spiral."

The frightening reality of victimization is that a rape occurs in the United States once every eight minutes, and every thirteen seconds a woman is abused by her partner.

For further information on this legislation, contact Kathy Powers of the PA Coalition Against Rape or Sue Bieneman of the PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence; both can be reached at 800-692-7445 or locally at 232-6746.