Behind some doors people are crying

Whether you live in The Woodlands, out in a remote place in the woods, in Conroe, in a high rise, in a single family dwelling, in a mobile home, in a car, wherever ... you will know someone. That is the motto of the Montgomery County Women's Center, because we are all surrounded by a social problem where some of the worst crimes occur. Ordinary people become criminals in the home. Citizens from all walks of life become victims of those who seek power over them, whether they be behind the doors of an automobile, a home or a bar. That is a sad statement. One of your neighbors is likely one of them.

Over the next few weeks, in partnership with Donna Wick, PHD., Director of Outreach and Communications of Montgomery Women's Center, will be writing various articles related to this subject, a series we call "Behind Closed Doors". We will keep the material from being too graphic. We want these articles to be suitable for all ages, like all the articles published in The Woodlands Commentary. You will hear about incidents, available services, trends, what to do if you know someone (and every body does at some point in their life).

Someone you know needs your help and the more informed we all are, the better equipped we are to respond to their needs. I hope you will spread the word to your friends everywhere. Home and relationship violence is not a problem only in Montgomery County; it is everywhere. We will not confine ourselves to processes here but will emphasize our role and issues in the broader scheme of things. Our county has some very talented people and our goal is to bring that talent to your awareness, along with the problem at hand. Right now, there are issues in law enforcement with burglaries, having a high community profile. What we am about to embark upon relates to crime with much worse impact than a burglary and often goes unreported.

So join me in my discovery as I share what I learn that goes on behind closed doors and what we can do to improve the quality of life for victims in the home. The impact of these crimes is simply devastating to families in all economic situations and living conditions. I want to thank Dr Wick for her enthusiasm and willingness to engage on this topic with me. She is also a writer, so you will see some of her work in these articles. There will of course be several expert sources for what is written. Watch for articles as they are released.