CASDA
Center Against Sexual and Domestic Abuse, Inc.
Erika Leif
Volunteer Coordinator
715/392-3136 or 800/649-2921
erika@casda.org
The following are notes from
These are aggregate notes from CASDA presentations
over the past four years

Mission Statement: To provide supportive services to individuals hurt by domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse as we advocate for a community effort to end violence.
What services and programs does CASDA offer? CASDA 24-hour help phone line, immediate response program, provides transitional housing, sexual assault program services, nonjudgmental support and support groups, domestic violence education services, secondary survivors group services, children's programming, legal services, court watch, outreach services, referrals, advocacy, and volunteer training. .
Whether you know it or not, it's very likely that someone you know has been a victim. Nearly one third of American women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives. One in six boys will be sexually assaulted by age 18 and one in three girls will be sexually assaulted by age 18. About 75% of the perpetrators are family members. In 2002 CASDA worked with 425 victims of abuse and answered more than 1,500 crisis calls. In 2003 CASDA worked with 495 victims of abuse and answered more than 1800 crises calls. Victims face a number of barriers including lack of economic resources, loss of friends, religion, worry over the safety of their children, and fear. 85% of the homicides in domestic relationships occurs after the victim leaves. On the average the victim leaves seven times before the victim leaves permanently.
The need in this community is great:
  - Lower than average income
- Higher than average rate of poverty
- Isolation due to rural location
- Presence of guns in the house due to popularity of hunting
- High rate of alcoholism, which can exacerbate an abuse problem
Erika shared her own story as a 4-year victim of abuse.
Erika organized a role playing of victims of domestic abuse. Five participants had their choice of their home, a hotel, a relative's home, an apartment, a domestic violence shelter, and homelessness as Erika read a script of increasingly controlling behavior by the abuser.
The power and control wheel was distributed and discussed.