SAN ANTONIO – It doesn’t surprise Elda Garcia that people in affluent communities don’t reach out for help.
Garcia is the executive director of the Southwest Family Life Center, a rural shelter serving five counties, including Uvalde and Medina counties.
She says there’s a shame and the fear is different, it has to do with their social status and some victims simply don’t want to talk about it.
But she assures people domestic violence does not discriminate.
“It happens to people of all walks of life,” Garcia said. “You know, it doesn’t matter where you work, no matter what education you have, where you live, what house you live in, what neighborhood, what car you drive, what school you went to. It does not matter what title you have.”
Garcia believes some victims think domestic abuse is only physical, but it can also include emotional, psychological, verbal, financial, sexual and religious abuse.
She understands the shame and fear that can come from speaking up.
Garcia urges victims to take the first step and asks friends and family to support them. If families don’t want to contact a local shelter because they are ashamed, they can contact shelters farther away in rural communities, too.
“There is no judgment as to what a person is going through when it comes to family violence or domestic violence, intimate partner violence,” she said. “There is no shame in, you know, whether you’re a doctor, you’re a lawyer, you’re, you know, there no, it happens. It happens to everyone. There is help.”
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, there is a long list of resources on KSAT’s Domestic Violence page, which includes a breakdown of what abuse is and how it builds gradually.
If you are in crisis, you can:
- call or text 911
- call the Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233
- call the local Family Violence Prevention Services, which runs the shelter (Crisis Number: 210-733-8810, Programs and Administration: 210-930-3669)
- call the Bexar County Family Justice Center at 210-631-0100.
Related coverage on KSAT: