The State reports that Governor Nikki Haley recently launched the Governor's Domestic Violence Task Force in response to the enactment of the Domestic Violence Reform Act that went into effect in June of this year. The law placed stricter penalties on those who inflict domestic violence upon others. The purpose of the task force was to analyze the domestic violence situation in South Carolina and provide recommendations on how to further reduce the number of domestic violence incidents that occur across the Palmetto state.

South Carolina has one of the Highest Domestic Violence Rates in the Country

South Carolina does not have a good track record when it comes to domestic violence. South Carolina has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the country, and unreported occurrences of domestic violence could make the situation in South Carolina worse than it initially appears. Another sad statistic that the state holds is that South Carolina has the second highest rate of domestic violence that results in the murder of a woman by a man.

Recommendations Made By the Task Force

The task force discovered a number of issues that South Carolina can work on in an effort to reduce the rate of domestic violence in the state. Overall, the task force came up with 50 recommendations. Recommendations that were provided for some of the more pressing shortcomings include:

• South Carolina lacks an effective and reliable way of reporting instances of domestic violence, and therefore does not have an accurate understanding of just how extensive the problem of domestic violence is. The Task Force recommended developing a uniform domestic violence reporting system that should be implemented statewide
• South Carolina law enforcement does not have a uniform protocol for dealing with instances of domestic violence. Governor Haley has promised to create a checklist for use by South Carolina law enforcement to ensure that officers know what they need to do in order to help domestic violence victims
• Taking steps to develop an education program about domestic violence that is taught to children in schools. The educational programming should be geared towards raising awareness of domestic violence, and educating young people about healthy relationships and putting a stop to domestic violence

While South Carolina's domestic violence situation will not likely improve immediately, making systemic changes to how the state, law enforcement, and South Carolina citizens handle domestic violence matters can lead to an overall improvement with time. Whatever can be done to protect people from domestic violence should be considered a step in the right direction.

Contacting a Charleston Family Law Attorney

No one should be a victim of domestic violence. If you or your child is the victim of domestic violence, you need to seek legal protection. An experienced family lawyer can help you obtain a legal protection order and can help you understand what options are available to you. Please contact the experienced Charleston family law lawyers at Sarji Law Firm, LLC today. We can be reached by calling 843-323-4341.

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