The number of domestic abuse calls in Syracuse went down slightly from 2012 to 2013, according to a recent report. But the Vera House is still working to prevent those crimes and educate people about domestic and sexual violence.

Vera House is a nonprofit organization with the goal of ending domestic violence and sexual assaults, assisting families in crisis and promoting respect in relationships, according to its website. The organization released its 25th annual report on Wednesday, with statistics about domestic and sexual violence issues. The report also detailed Vera House’s plans for future programming.

From 2012 to 2013, the number of phone calls answered by the Syracuse Police Department related to domestic abuse decreased by 515 calls, going from 10,703 calls to 10,188, according to the report.

Randi Bregman, the executive director for Vera House, said in an email that despite the small decrease in domestic abuse calls, issues of domestic and sexual violence still need a lot of attention.

The report also included Vera House’s goals for this year, which include increasing awareness and making sure programs like “It’s On Us” and “Coaching Boys Into Men,” stay active. Bregman said the goals were chosen based on evaluation of community needs.

Those programs are geared towards teaching men to help end sexual assault and relationship abuse, according to the report. With more men joining every year, the hope is to decrease acts of domestic and sexual abuse, according to the report.

About 489 male participants were educated through Vera House accountability programs in 2013, according to the report. This is a small decrease from 2012, in which Vera House educated 497 men through its accountability programs.

“I developed my leadership skills and initiative to stand up, say something and don’t be a bystander,” said one man who participated in Vera House’s Mentors in Violence Prevention Program and who was quoted in the report.

Vera House has come a long way in the past 25 years and has seen remarkable changes, said Loren Cunningham, the education director of Vera House. About 25 years ago, there weren’t any specialized courts or police departments, and shelter services that were available were not confidential or available to men and trans* people, she added.

“It’s a dramatic change because we weren’t doing primary prevention work 25 years ago. Back then we were focused on change in response and approach,” she said

SU and Vera House began working together when the Advocacy Center was open. Bregman said that Vera House is working to re-define its relationship with different parts of the university focusing on issues of relationship violence and sexual assault. Bregman added that she hopes to continue a close partnership with SU in helping victims and in prevention efforts for many years to come.

Published on November 3, 2014 at 12:01 am

Contact Lauren: lmdoyle@syr.edu