Being a victim of domestic violence can affect a person’s self worth and can alter the way a person interacts with others. The greatest effects are those imposed upon the children, who witness violent acts in the comfort of their own home.

Women are more likely to be treated in emergency rooms for injuries imposed upon them by their abusive partner than for auto accidents, muggings, and stranger rape combined. Acts of domestic violence occur every 11 seconds in the United States and every 7 minutes an intimate partner is killed during a domestic violence incident.   While women are predominantly the victims of domestic violence, there has been an increase of reported domestic violence acts against men over the past few years.

CAP has been committed to helping families resolve varying degrees of crisis and domestic violence for over 20 years. Currently, CAP operates shelters that serve the Kentucky counties of Rockcastle, Jackson, Laurel, Clay, Knox, Bell, Whitley, Harlan, Floyd, Martin, Magoffin, Pike and Johnson. With a staff of employees and CAP Volunteers, they provided safe shelter to hundreds of women and children (and some men) in crisis due to domestic violence each year.   

While at the CAP shelters, staff assists the victims of domestic violence in obtaining housing, advocate with them in the court system and help them obtain any other resources they might require. Participants are also able to access counseling though the Family Life Counseling.  Each year, CAP shelters provided legal advocacy services to 1over a thousand women, men and children in our service area.

In addition, CAP staff is active in the community where they seek to educate the public about the issue of domestic violence through presentations and training.