Domestic Violence Headlines for the Week of Nov. 17

Kim Kardashian Describes Feeling Financially Unsafe During Marriage to Kanye

In a recent podcast appearance, reality star Kim Kardashian admitted she felt financially unsafe during her six-year marriage to Kanye West, also known as “Ye.” West, who later chalked up his erratic behavior post-separation from Kardashian to his bipolar disorder diagnosis, allegedly spent the couple’s money recklessly, which kept Kardashian feeling constantly unsettled. He would also give away their belongings without consulting with his wife. “I would come home, and we had like, five Lamborghinis, and I’d come home and they’d all be gone, you know, if he was in an episode. And I’d be like, ‘Oh wait, where’s ….my new car? And … he gave them away to all of his friends,” she explained on the podcast.

Regardless of income level, financial abuse in a relationship is used by one partner to show dominance, power and control over the other partner in a relationship. In a study of survivors of domestic abuse, almost all experienced financial abuse along with other tactics of violence. It can take years for survivors to recover from the effects of financial abuse and rebuild their financial stability. 

“Financial abuse is devastatingly effective because it’s often not illegal, and it is an invisible tactic of domestic violence,” Kim Pentico, director of economic justice programs at the National Network to End Domestic Violence tells MoneyWise.com. 

Source: Moneywise.com

AI Chatbots Advise Women Leave Abusive Partners

In a recent exchange, a 34-year-old woman reported she was unsure if her postpartum depression was “normal” and turned to a new, nontraditional support source—ChatGPT. Through a series of questions, the AI bot was able to identify the woman, Samira’s, partner as manipulating her through financial abuse. ChatGPT told her in no uncertain terms, “You need to get out.” 

Samira told Rewirenewsgroup.com that she was grateful for the perspective, feeling like the AI bot was “a hand on my shoulder when I really need one.” Despite Samira’s mother’s protests, saying her marriage had been blessed by the Pakistani Muslim community, the woman says she decided to file for divorce anyway. 

Ying Zhang, an assistant professor of psychology at Clarkston University, is part of a research team that studies ChatGPT’s reliability when it comes to detecting domestic violence. After inputting 500 anonymous posts from visitors to various domestic violence forums into ChatGPT, the AI bot was able to correctly identify intimate partner abuse in over 90 percent of the cases. 

Sometimes, survivors aren’t ready to speak to a real person on the phone about their situation. It can be difficult to admit to oneself that you may be a victim of abuse. At the beginning of this year, DomesticShelters.org introduced its own AI assistant named Hope Chat  to help visitors more quickly access resources and information found on DomesticShelters.org. Trained on the site’s extensive library of expert-created content, HopeChat is uniquely equipped to recognize the nuances, risks, and lesser-known dynamics of abuse that general-purpose chatbots may overlook. Since its launch, it has supported thousands of conversations from individuals seeking answers about domestic violence, tactics of power and control, and ways to help someone trapped with an abusive partner—and much more.

Source: Rewirenewsgroup.com

Woman Who Killed Abusive Boyfriend Granted Parole After 8 Years

On Wednesday, Tiffany Carroll of Greenwood, S.C., was granted parole in a vote of four to two after spending eight years behind bars for the 2017 stabbing murder of her boyfriend, William Jamal Johnson. Carroll endured multiple incidents of abuse by Johnson over an unknown number of years, with law enforcement reporting to their shared home at least eight times. In one incident, neighbors called police after witnessing Johnson stomp on Carroll in their front yard while she held her baby in her arms. 

Carroll has received support from the Greenwood Police Chief, Solicitor David Stumbo, a local domestic violence agency, lawmakers and various community members, all who have advocated for her release. 

At least 90 percent of women in prison for killing men report having been abused by those men, according to statistics compiled by the ACLU. Additionally, women who kill their partners will spend an average of 15 years behind bars, while men who kill their female partners serve much shorter sentences, on average between 2 to 6 years. 

“We are desensitized to men killing,” Nora V. Demleitner, a professor of law at Washington and Lee University School of Law in Virginia who specializes in criminal justice and sentencing issues, tells DomesticShelters.org in “Women Serve Longer Prison Sentences After Killing Abusers.” 

According to Demleitner, gender disparity is prevalent throughout the justice system. That’s just one of the reasons women receive harsher sentences for murder.

“Women aren't supposed to be violent, and data indicates that they rarely are, compared to men. Women are supposed to reconcile, seek out others for help, mediate. The more violent the killing may be, the more women defy this stereotype, setting them up for a high sentence.”

Source: WYFF.com

Abuser Threatens to Be Like Travis Decker

Last Friday evening, a Monroe, Wash., woman called police to report an ex-partner had assaulted her, stolen her car and kidnapped their two children, ages 7 and 10-months. She claims the man tried to run her over as she ran after the car. Her ex also allegedly told her he planned to emulate murderer Travis Decker “and kill the kids”. 

Decker fatally suffocated his three young daughters in a Washington state park last June after failing to return them during a custody exchange. About three and a half months later, human remains found in the Cascade mountains were identified via DNA as Decker’s.

Thankfully, before an Amber Alert could be issued, the Monroe man’s vehicle was spotted in the nearby city of Cle Elum with the father and unharmed children inside. The suspect was arrested and is being held on a $200,000 bail.

Abusers almost always escalate their behavior, especially when a survivor decides to leave the relationship and the abuser feels like they are losing control. In this case, it’s important to never underestimate what an abuser is capable of, warn advocates. 

“Human behavior is one of the hardest things to predict,” says Melanie Carlson, MSW, a former shelter advocate and case manager in “Will My Partner Be Violent After I Leave?” 

“Still, past behavior is the most predictive of future behavior. There are often clear patterns in behavior,” she says. If your partner was abusive during the relationship, plan for abuse if you try to leave. Have a support system in place and create a safety plan that accounts for what your abusive partner is capable of. Read “Customizing Your Safety Plan” for more information. 

Sources: Komonews.com, People.com, CNN.com