Domestic violence incidents rise in Harris County

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Domestic violence continues to be a major problem across the United States, including in Texas — and specifically within Harris County.

According to the CDC, about 41% of women and 26% of men experienced sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner. More than 61 million women and 53 million men have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

The latest two incidents in the Houston area occurred less than 48 hours apart from each other.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said deputies responded to an apartment complex on Clay Road Saturday evening to do a welfare check, where they found a married couple dead inside one of the units.

Sheriff Gonzalez said it appeared to be a murder-suicide, and that, preliminarily, investigators believe the husband shot and killed the wife and then turned the gun on himself.

“This is far too common. It’s an epidemic,” Sheriff Gonzalez said at the scene. “Unfortunately, as we see so much intimate partner violence, domestic violence, it sometimes unfortunately leads to fatal outcomes, so we always stress the importance of seeking resources and help.”

Then, early Monday morning, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said a man and a woman were sent to the hospital after the woman allegedly rammed her vehicle into the vehicle her partner was driving, following a fight.

“You don’t usually get to this point of violence on your first go-round, but there are assistance out there, there’s counselors, there’s divorce if you have to,” Capt. Anthony McConnell said. “This is not where it needs to go.”

Following both these incidents, community organizations and advocates are continuing to sound the alarm to domestic violence survivors that there are resources available to them.

“Help is out there,” Houston Area Women’s Center chief client services officer Chanica Brown said. “We provide emergency housing services, also known as shelter services, for those who are escaping immediate danger. We also provide legal advocacy services for those who are trying to navigate the criminal or civil legal systems.”

The Houston Area Women’s Center is also in the process of expanding their campus. A new building is under construction right now, which is expected to be completed by next year.

“That’ll be a way for us not only to continue our services but to increase our capacity, because, unfortunately, we need it,” Brown said.

Brown said the most dangerous time for a survivor is when they say they are leaving a domestic violence relationship. Brown acknowledged that it can sometimes be difficult for a survivor to reach out for help, especially in situations where their safety is compromised or if their financial situation depends on their intimate partner. But she said hammering the message home that help is available is crucial.

“Just getting the word out there, getting our information out there, letting survivors know how they can get help, we hope that’ll be an impactful way to see this terrible crime decrease,” Brown said. “We will continue to do the work. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do the work until there is no more work to be done, but we will never stop in our mission to decrease domestic violence and prevent it all together.”

The same goes for The Bridge Over Troubled Waters, a comprehensive crisis center in Pasadena that serves survivors of domestic violence across Harris County.

“It’s really important to seek services, because we know that these cases can get really volatile, and sometimes lead to death, and so we really want people to know that we exist, along with our sister agencies, so that they can reach out and start taking those beginning steps to find support,” The Bridge Over Troubled Waters CEO Q. Olivia Rivers said.

Rivers said it will take education, prevention and tough conversations to truly end domestic violence. She added that part of that is shining a bright light on the issue.

“We don’t want survivors to suffer in silence. And the reason many people don’t reach out is because they think they’re alone. And so by letting them know that we exist, and other resources exist, it’s going to give them that strength that they need to reach out for support,” Brown said.

The Bridge Over Troubled Waters also provides resources for men — a sometimes-overlooked group when it comes to survivors of domestic violence.

“We actually have men who live in our shelter and a few who were just admitted into our housing program, and so we really want the community to know that domestic violence crosses all gender lines,” Brown said.

According to the Texas Council on Family Violence’s “2023 Honoring Texas Victims” report, 26 men in Texas, including three in Harris County, were murdered by their intimate partners in 2023.

But Roy Rios, the council’s director of prevention, said there are often stigmas attached to men and domestic violence, regardless of whether their abuser is a man or woman. Rios said his organization does a lot of work to combat that stigma.

“We also have a social structure that makes it very difficult for male survivors to reach out for help,” Rios said. “We have to be ready to support men and the way that they divulge information about the trauma that they experience.”

Rios added that the key is to show men that they are not alone and to encourage them to speak up.

“If there is a man listening who’s experiencing intimate partner violence, we know that you’re out there. We want to help you, and we have been doing a lot of work to ensure that your community is ready to support you when you reach out,” Rios said

There are several 24-hour hotlines that are available to help those in need:

The Bridge Over Troubled Waters Hotline: (713) 473-2801

The Houston Area Women’s Center Hotline: (713) 528-2121

The Family Time Crisis Center Hotline: (281) 446-2615

The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Crisis Text Line: Text START to 88788