Our Community Owes Domestic Abuse Survivors Better Choices

Imagine of Tucson's skyline with text that reads "Our Community Owes Domestic Abuse Survivors Better Choices"
image of Emerge's administrative building

Every day, people experiencing domestic violence (DV) make the choices they can to survive. In far too many cases, the choices available to survivors simply aren’t good enough—with devastating consequences.

Recently, one DV survivor in Tucson faced an impossible choice: stay in the car while her intoxicated boyfriend fled the police up Mt. Lemmon, or take the risk and jump. Tragically, she did not survive the injuries she sustained from jumping out of the vehicle. This case is a heartbreaking illustration of what happens when the DV response system—and when the community as a whole—does not provide DV survivors with better options.

Public records show that the tragedy on Mt. Lemmon developed from a history of “high risk” domestic abuse. William Holloway had a pending case in misdemeanor court for a previous assault when he kidnapped Debra Murrieta. That case involved strangulation—which can be classified as felony-level aggravated assault in Arizona, and is a strong indicator that the abuse may escalate to lethal violence.

At Emerge, we are deeply pained each time a survivor loses their life to violence. This case and others like it highlight the need to build safety into our community’s DV response system by recognizing and responding to the danger that domestic abuse presents.

Understanding Risk Can Prevent Tragedy

We invite organizations serving survivors to recognize our limitations and work together to improve the systemic response to DV. Emerge, for example, acknowledges our limited capacity to meet the huge demand for support services. As a result, we prioritize beds in our emergency shelter program for high-risk cases to ensure that survivors who are in danger of being killed by their partner can recover in a confidential location. While we do not believe that we as a community can incarcerate or punish our way out of this DV epidemic, the criminal legal system can likewise improve survivor safety by prioritizing and understanding the risk associated with domestic abuse.

Recognizing the level of danger DV presents can have an enormous impact on survivor outcomes. In one notable case, a survivor’s partner put her in a chokehold until she lost consciousness. First responders were not trained to identify signs of strangulation on a Black woman. Ultimately, police arrested her and held her in jail overnight.

The decision to punish instead of support this survivor reduced the likelihood that she would reach out to the system for support as the abuse continued. Additionally, her partner, a man who used potentially lethal violence on her, received no support in being accountable for and changing his behavior. As a result, the abuse continued to escalate. The consequences were fatal when she was later left with her own impossible choice: endure life-threatening violence, or fight back.

A Community Inundated by Tragic News

A more recent tragedy highlights the critical need to properly assess the risk of DV. While our community mourns the loss of Zahriya Moreno, many were likely confused by the fact that Angelito Olivas was released on a $2500 bond for a DV incident that ended her life. According to public records, he was assessed by pre-trial services to be at the lowest level of risk to the community. This case shows how vital it is to include DV risk factors in pre-trial risk assessments. Survivors in our community deserve a consistent, coordinated response to domestic abuse that understands risk and takes measures to increase safety. More recently, the Pima County Attorney’s Office dropped charges against Olivas and we, like the rest of the community, await developments in this tragic case.

Every week, another devastating DV-related story airs on the news, whether it’s a young woman brutally attacked by her ex-boyfriend, a man shooting his partner, or a person fleeing a domestic incident shooting a Pima County Sheriff’s Department deputy. Unfortunately, these incidents provide only a glimpse of the scope of the harm DV causes in our community, as the vast majority of cases are never reported.

The Community’s Role in Creating Safer Choices

Beyond the systems involved in responding to DV, like law enforcement, the criminal legal system—or Emerge, a DV support services provider—our community as a whole has a responsibility to provide survivors with better options. Did the men in these cases have family, faith groups, or friends who could recognize their struggles with substance use or abusive behaviors and offer support to make safer choices? Did the survivors know that their community believed them, or that what was happening to them wasn’t their fault?

Ending domestic abuse demands change at the community level. The harmful beliefs and behaviors that enable domestic abuse to happen are deeply engrained in our communities. We invite you to join us in imaging possibilities for making Tucson and Pima County safer from violence of all kinds. Become active in creating a caring community. Take part in disrupting the culture that enables violence. Believe survivors. Get involved by volunteering at Emerge. Connect with our Men’s Engagement program to learn how to support people in making safer choices in their relationships. Together, we can build a community where survivors have the support and the options they need to create lives free from abuse.

University of Arizona Sorority Raises $200,000 to End Domestic Violence

image of Emerge's administrative building

TUCSON, Ariz.: Alpha Chi Omega sorority members at the University of Arizona gain experience with fundraising and become advocates for changing the culture of gender-based violence. Over the course of a 20 year partnership, the sorority has raised $200,000 in support of Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse (Emerge) services. In 2024 alone, the sorority has raised more than $33,000 for DV survivors.

Ryann Hochuli, Alpha Chi’s current Vice President of Philanthropy, said, “I’ve dedicated myself to advocating for and fundraising in support of domestic abuse awareness. This cause is particularly close to my heart, as I’ve seen firsthand the significant and often devastating effects that domestic violence can have on individuals and families. My experiences have inspired me to make a difference and work towards a future in which everyone feels safe and valued. Alpha Chi Omega supports survivors and advocates for changes to prevent future abuse. Together, we can break the cycle, encourage empathy, and ensure that everyone can thrive in a safe, supportive community.”

Alpha Chi also invests time and energy in raising awareness about dating violence and other forms of gender-based violence among their members and other students on the UA campus. Ed Sakwa, Emerge’s CEO, said “Emerge couldn’t ask for a better partner than Alpha Chi. It’s ingrained in their culture. We are thankful for their active efforts to educate and shift perspectives, belief systems, and behaviors within the UA student population so that everyone on campus—and beyond—is safer.”

The culture of Alpha Chi doesn’t come by accident. Tracey Rowley, Alpha Chi alumni and Philanthropy Advisor to the UA chapter, works with each year’s officers and other members to learn about the power of giving back to the community and the impact they can have on the issue of domestic violence.

“Alpha Chi Omega’s national philanthropy since 1992 is domestic violence awareness and prevention. As a result of that decision, Alpha Chi Omega, across the country has led the way in addressing a pervasive and devastating issue impacting women of all ages, races, and cultures,” said Rowley. “Accordingly, the Alpha Chi Omega chapter at the University of Arizona has completely embraced Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse. Not only is the chapter one of the top fundraisers out of the 140 collegiate chapters in the country, the chapter is one of the top fundraisers for Emerge.”

Emerge thanks Alpha Chi for the difference they are making in the lives of so many families, and we believe it is important for the community to know about the action this sorority has chosen to take to make our community safer for all. They serve as an example to all of us when it comes to taking action to bring about meaningful change in our community.

###

Liberation through Love | Voices Unheard: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls

At Emerge, we honor the work, strength, and resilience of Indigenous communities, especially the Indigenous women leading the movement for safety and justice. This month’s episode of Liberation through Love addresses a critical issue: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). We are privileged to host April Ignacio, a survivor, advocate, and co-founder of Indivisible Tohono, for a powerful conversation on the root causes of this epidemic, the barriers to safety, and the ongoing fight for justice.

Did you know that more than four in five Indigenous adults have experienced psychological aggression, physical violence, stalking, or sexual violence by an intimate partner? Additionally, Native American women are three times more likely to be murdered than white women.

Despite these harrowing statistics, many people remain unaware of this crisis. A recent survey by the First Nations Development Institute revealed that over half of non-Indigenous respondents had never heard about the violence Indigenous women endure. It’s time to change that.

The ongoing violence against Indigenous women is not just an Indigenous issue; it’s a community issue that demands our collective attention. It requires men to listen, reflect, and take responsibility for changing harmful attitudes to ensure the safety and well-being of Indigenous women and girls. It calls on all of us to cultivate safer communities for everyone.

This episode is a call to action. By understanding the scope of the MMIWG crisis and the challenges faced by Indigenous communities, we can all play a role in creating a safer future. Listen now, share widely, and be part of the change.

This is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Listen to Episode #2 of Liberation through Love now, and share widely!

Pima County Revitalizes Response to Domestic Violence

image of Emerge's administrative building

Today, the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the federal statute prohibiting individuals convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence (DV) crimes or who are subject to a DV restraining order (DVRO) from possessing firearms. This decision underscores the importance of systemic protections for people experiencing abuse—and the potential danger victims face when systems fail them. Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse is proud to announce that Pima County has also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting DV survivors.

In recent years, while families continued to lose loved ones to the epidemic of domestic abuse, Pima County’s coordinated response to DV has languished. Fortunately, Pima County has revitalized its DV response through a partnership between organizations including Emerge, Tucson City Court’s DV Court, Southern Arizona Legal Aid, Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (SACASA), Tucson Police Department, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Office. Together, these partners will rebuild the county’s DV response system—and grow it to involve a more diverse group of individuals and organizations in solving the community problem of intimate partner violence.

When domestic abuse escalates to the point of a 911 response, multiple community organizations can become involved and have an impact on a survivor’s safety—for better or for worse. A Coordinated Community Response (CCR) approach to addressing DV brings together a multi-disciplinary group of agencies within law enforcement, survivor advocacy programs, and the criminal justice system to work together, implementing tools and processes designed to improve safety and accountability.

“When a community’s CCR is not active, there is great impact to how accessible safety and support are for survivors,” said Anna Harper, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Emerge. “We begin to see things like a lack of attention to the impact of felony declinations, lack of training that results in racial bias and injuries being overlooked with Black women, arrest and prosecution of victims who were left to defend themselves, and a lack of attention to the risk associated with firearms.”

While DV survivors in Pima County once benefited from a robust CCR, changes in leadership, staffing challenges, and impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic gradually eroded the team’s structure. Emerge and community partners in criminal justice have worked together to serve DV survivors in Pima County over the last five years; however, the CCR has not grown to meet the immense need in the community.

With STOP Violence Against Women grant funding from the Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith, and Family, Emerge and local partners are revitalizing the local CCR Team and rebuilding vital programs including:

  • Pima County’s Risk Assessment Protocol—to identify high-risk cases and ensure survivors have access to critical services
  • Pima County DV’s Fatality Review Team—to identify risk factors, systems gaps, and areas for improvement
  • Tucson City Court’s DV Offender Accountability Program—to improve the justice system response to DV through work with Abusive Partner Intervention Programs and providing support to high-risk victims
  • Pima County’s DV Strangulation Protocol—to improve training and response to strangulation as an important indicator of risk for DV victims—with special emphasis on addressing racial bias in strangulation assessment

Each of these elements is designed to prevent DV homicides, with a focus on improving coordinated support for survivors identified as being at high risk of lethality, and centering the experiences of Black and Indigenous survivors, who are often at the greatest risk of lethal violence. Another area for growth in the CCR Team is to create a more comprehensive approach that includes participation from the broader community outside of the criminal justice system.

Emerge’s role on the team is to provide training and oversight to partners to ensure that DV survivors’ needs are addressed in a trauma-informed manner in other areas of the system. April Barbosa, founder of Justice for Rosaura, has joined Emerge as CCR Team Project Manager. In this role, she will continue her work of building connections and strengthening our community’s response to domestic abuse by helping to revitalize the CCR Team.

“This role is deeply personal to me, as I lost my daughter Rosaura to domestic abuse,” said Barbosa. “My family’s experiences have fueled my dedication to this work. I do this in Rosaura’s memory to help as many people as possible. I understand the critical importance of a united, community-wide approach to ensure the safety and well-being of survivors. My commitment is to build strong partnerships and help implement effective protocols that not only support survivors but also prevent future violence. Together, we can create a safer and more supportive environment for all members of our community.

Redefining Masculinity: A Conversation with Men

Join us for an impactful dialogue featuring men at the forefront of reshaping masculinity and confronting violence within our communities.
 

Domestic abuse affects everyone, and it’s crucial that we come together to end it. Emerge invites you to join us for a panel discussion in partnership with Goodwill Industries of Southern Arizona as part of our Lunchtime Insights series. During this event, we’ll engage in thought-provoking conversations with men who are at the forefront of reshaping masculinity and addressing violence in our communities.

Moderated by Anna Harper, Emerge’s Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, this event will explore intergenerational approaches to engaging men and boys, highlighting the importance of Black and Indigenous men of color (BIPOC) leadership, and will include personal reflections from the panelists on their transformative work. 

Our panel will feature leaders from Emerge’s Men’s Engagement Team and Goodwill’s Youth Re-Engagement Centers. Following the discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with the panelists.
 
In addition to the panel discussion, Emerge will provide, we will share updates about our upcoming Generate Change Men’s Feedback Helpline, Arizona’s first helpline dedicated to supporting men who may be at risk of making violent choices alongside the introduction of a brand-new men’s community clinic. 
Join us as we work toward creating a safer community for all.
Register Today!

Arizona Supreme Court Decision Will Hurt Survivors of Abuse

image of Emerge's administrative building

At Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse (Emerge), we believe that safety is the foundation for a community free from abuse. Our value of safety and love for our community calls us to condemn this week’s Arizona Supreme Court decision, which will jeopardize the wellbeing of domestic violence (DV) survivors and millions more across Arizona.

In 2022, the United States Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade opened the door for states to enact their own laws and unfortunately, the results are as predicted. On April 9, 2024, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled in favor of upholding a century old abortion ban. The 1864 law is a near-total ban on abortion that criminalizes the healthcare workers who provide abortion services. It provides no exception for incest or rape.

Just weeks ago, Emerge celebrated the Pima County Board of Supervisors’ decision to declare April Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Having worked with DV survivors for over 45 years, we understand how often sexual assault and reproductive coercion are used as a means to assert power and control in abusive relationships. This law, which predates the statehood of Arizona, will force survivors of sexual violence to carry unwanted pregnancies—further stripping them of power over their own bodies. Dehumanizing laws like these are so dangerous in part because they can become state-sanctioned tools for people using abusive behaviors to cause harm.

Abortion care is simply healthcare. To ban it is to limit a basic human right. As with all systemic forms of oppression, this law will present the greatest danger to the people who are already the most vulnerable. The maternal mortality rate of Black women in this county is nearly three times that of white women. Moreover, Black women experience sexual coercion at double the rate of white women. These disparities will only increase when the state is allowed to force pregnancies.

These Supreme Court decisions do not reflect the voices or needs of our community. Since 2022, there has been an effort to get an amendment to Arizona’s constitution on the ballot. If passed, it would overrule the Arizona Supreme Court decision and establish the fundamental right to abortion care in Arizona. Through whatever avenues they choose to do so, we are hopeful that our community will choose to stand with survivors and use our collective voice to protect fundamental rights.

To advocate for the safety and wellbeing of all survivors of abuse in Pima County, we must center the experiences of members of our community whose limited resources, histories of trauma, and biased treatment within the healthcare and criminal legal systems puts them in harm’s way. We cannot realize our vision of a safe community without reproductive justice. Together, we can help return power and agency to survivors who deserve every opportunity to experience liberation from abuse.

Lunchtime Insights: An Introduction to Domestic Abuse & Emerge Services.

You are invited to join us on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, for our upcoming “Lunchtime Insights: An Introduction to Domestic Abuse & Emerge Services.”

During this month’s bite-sized presentation, we’ll explore domestic abuse, its dynamics, and the barriers to leaving an abusive relationship. We will also provide helpful tips for how we, as a community, can support survivors and an overview of the resources available to survivors at Emerge.

Enhance your knowledge of domestic abuse with the opportunity to ask questions and dive deep with members of the Emerge team who have decades of experience working with and learning alongside survivors of domestic abuse in our community.

In addition, folx interested in co-conspiring with Emerge can learn about ways to increase healing and safety for survivors in Tucson and southern Arizona through employment, volunteering, and more.

Space is limited. Please RSVP below if you are interested in attending this in-person event. We hope that you can join us on March 19.

Register today!

Emerge Launches New Hiring Initiative

TUCSON, ARIZONA – Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse (Emerge) is undergoing a process of transforming our community, culture, and practices to prioritize the safety, equity and full humanity of all people. To accomplish these goals, Emerge invites those interested in ending gender-based violence in our community to join in this evolution through a nationwide hiring initiative beginning this month. Emerge will host three meet-and-greet events to introduce our work and values to the community. These events will take place on November 29 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm and on December 1 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm. Those interested can register for the following dates:
 
 
During these meet-and-greet sessions, attendees will learn how values such as love, safety, responsibility and repair, innovation, and liberation are at the core of Emerge’s work supporting survivors as well as partnerships and community outreach efforts.
 
Emerge is actively building a community that centers and honors the experiences and intersectional identities of all survivors. Everyone at Emerge has committed to providing our community with domestic violence support services and education around prevention with respect to the whole person. Emerge prioritizes accountability with love and uses our vulnerabilities as a source of learning and growth. If you desire to reimagine a community where everyone can embrace and experience safety, we invite you to apply for one of the available direct services or administrative positions. 
 
Those interested in learning about current employment opportunities will have the chance to have one-on-one conversations with Emerge staff from a variety of programs across the agency, including the Men’s Education Program, Community-Based Services, Emergency Services, and administration. Job seekers who submit their application by December 2 will have the opportunity to move into an expedited hiring process in early December, with an estimated start date in January 2023, if selected. Applications submitted after December 2 will continue to be considered; however, those applicants may only be scheduled for an interview after the start of the new year.
 
Through this new hiring initiative, newly hired employees will also benefit from a one-time hiring bonus awarded after 90 days in the organization.
 
Emerge invites those who are willing to confront violence and privilege, with the goal of community healing, and those passionate about being in service to all survivors to view available opportunities and apply here: https://emergecenter.org/about-emerge/employment

Creating Safety for Everyone in our Community

The last two years have been difficult for all of us, as we’ve collectively weathered the challenges of living through a global pandemic. And yet, our struggles as individuals during this time have looked different from each other. COVID-19 pulled back the curtain on the disparities that impact communities of color experience, and their access to healthcare, food, shelter, and financing.

While we are incredibly grateful that we’ve had the ability to continue serving survivors through this time, we acknowledge that Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities continue to face racial prejudice and oppression from systemic and institutional racism. Over the last 24 months, we witnessed the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery, and the murders of Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright, George Floyd, and Quadry Sanders and many others, including the most recent white supremacist terrorist attack on Black community members in Buffalo, New York. We’ve seen increased violence toward Asian Americans rooted in xenophobia and misogyny and many viral moments of racial bias and hatred on social media channels. And while none of this is new, technology, social media, and a 24-hour news cycle have catapulted this historic struggle into our daily conscience.

For the last eight years, Emerge has evolved and transformed through our commitment to becoming a multicultural, anti-racist organization. Guided by the wisdom of our community, Emerge centers the experiences of people of color both in our organization and in public spaces and systems to provide truly supportive domestic abuse services that can be accessible to ALL survivors.

We invite you to join Emerge in our ongoing work to build a more inclusive, equitable, accessible, and just post-pandemic society.

For those of you who have followed this journey during our previous Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) campaigns or through our social media efforts, this information probably isn’t new. If you have not accessed any of the written pieces or videos in which we uplift our community’s diverse voices and experiences, we hope you will take some time to visit our written pieces to learn more.

Some of our ongoing efforts to disrupt systemic racism and prejudice in our work include:

  • Emerge continues to work with national and local experts to provide staff training on the intersections of race, class, gender identity, and sexual orientation. These trainings invite our staff to engage with their lived experiences within these identities and the experiences of the domestic abuse survivors we serve.
  • Emerge has become increasingly critical of the way we design service delivery systems to be intentional in creating access for all survivors in our community. We are committed to seeing and addressing survivors’ culturally specific needs and experiences, including personal, generational, and societal trauma. We look at all the influences that make Emerge participants uniquely them: their lived experiences, how they have had to navigate the world based on who they are, and how they identify as human beings.
  • We are working to identify and re-imagine organizational processes that create barriers for survivors to access the resources and safety they need.
  • With help from our community, we have implemented and are continuing to refine a more inclusive hiring process that centers experience over education, recognizing the value of lived experiences in supporting survivors and their children.
  • We have come together to create and provide safe spaces for staff to gather and be vulnerable with each other to acknowledge our individual experiences and allow for each of us to confront our own beliefs and behaviors that we want to change.

    Systemic change requires time, energy, self-reflection, and at times discomfort, but Emerge is steadfast in our unending commitment to building systems and spaces that acknowledge the humanity and worth of every human being in our community.

    We hope you will stay by our side as we grow, evolve, and build accessible, just, and equitable support for all domestic violence survivors with services that are centered in an anti-racist, anti-oppression framework and are truly reflective of the diversity of our community.

    We invite you to join us in creating a community where love, respect, and safety are essential and inviolable rights for everyone. We can achieve this as a community when we, collectively and individually, have tough conversations about race, privilege, and oppression; when we listen and learn from our community, and when we proactively support organizations working towards the liberation of marginalized identities.

    You can actively engage in our work by signing up for our enews and sharing our content on social media, participating in our community conversations, organizing a community fundraiser, or donating your time and resources.

    Together, we can build a better tomorrow – one that brings racism and prejudice to an end.

DVAM Series: Honoring Staff

Administration and Volunteers

In this week’s video, Emerge’s administrative staff highlight the complexities of providing administrative support during the pandemic. From rapidly changing policies to mitigate risk, to re-programming phones to ensure our Hotline could be answered from home; from generating donations of cleaning supplies and toilet paper, to visiting multiple businesses to locate and purchase items like thermometers and disinfectant to keep our shelter running safely; from revising employee services policies over and over to ensure staff had the support they needed, to quickly writing grants to secure funding for all the rapid changes Emerge experienced, and; from delivering food on site at shelter to give direct services staff a break, to triaging and addressing participant needs at our Lipsey Administrative site, our admin staff showed up in incredible ways as the pandemic rages on.
 
We’d also like to highlight one of the volunteers, Lauren Olivia Easter, who continued steadfast in her support of Emerge participants and staff during the pandemic. As a preventative measure, Emerge temporarily ceased our volunteer activities, and we sorely missed their collaborative energy as we’ve continued to serve participants. Lauren checked in with staff frequently to let them know she was available to help, even if it meant volunteering from home. When City Court re-opened earlier this year, Lauren was first in line to come back onsite to provide advocacy for survivors engaged in legal services. Our gratitude goes to Lauren, for her passion and dedication to serving individuals experiencing abuse in our community.