Faith House’s Guidry speaks at Oct. 25 Rotary meeting

Marie Guidry with Faith House was the guest speaker at the October 25 Ville Platte Rotary Club meeting.
Guidry said, “There are a lot of people out there that think domestic violence is just the physical part of violence. They picture some woman down on the corner of the kitchen floor with a black eye, but at the core of domestic violence, it’s really all about power and control.”
Faith House is a domestic violence crisis center and shelter, based in Lafayette, that serves seven parishes including Lafayette, Vermilion, Acadia, St. Landry, Evangeline, Rapides and Avoyelles. The organization offers housing and shelter, support services, family justice centers and prevention programs for those in need.
Guidry said domestic violence boils down to one human being trying to control another human being and using power, control and force to do so. She said there are also many forms of abuse, not just physical.
“It usually starts with verbal and mental abuse and usually moves on to economic abuse,” Guidry said.
She continued, “One of the questions that people ask all the time is ‘Why doesn’t she leave?’ It’s very important to understand that there are major reasons why a lady might not leave an abusive situation. One of those reasons is shame. It’s not necessarily shame toward themselves, although that can play a key part in it.”
Guidry said the main shame a woman feels and causes her to stay is shame for her own family.
“She does not want to see her husband’s name in the newspaper because of the shame it might cause others, not necessarily herself,” Guidry said. “Another reason is that women know instinctively, that when they leave, that is the most danger they will ever be in.”
Guidry said 70 percent of women have been murdered when they are leaving an abusive relationship.