A Message and Call to Action from
Susan Ross, CEO, The Second Step
In just one week, two women in Massachusetts were killed by their intimate partners – one in Milton and one in Brockton. The Second Step extends its deepest sympathy to the families and friends who are grieving these profound losses.
Murder by an intimate partner is uniquely devastating, morally reprehensible, and unthinkable. It is a profound betrayal of the most basic human bonds when love, home, and intimacy become sources of fear and fatal danger. And yet, it occurs all too often in neighborhoods right around us.
Lives can be saved when communities recognize the warning signs, including:
- Prior threats to kill
- Strangulation
- Stalking, coercive control, and isolation
- Access to firearms (which increases the risk of homicide 500%)
- A victim’s attempt to leave the relationship
Less visible signs can be just as dangerous, especially when overlooked or minimized. These include:
- Constant monitoring
- Isolation from support systems
- Financial control
- Emotional degradation
Safety is possible when we act early and take survivors seriously. These tragedies are preventable. When more people understand the warning signs, know the resources available, and believe survivors when they speak up, we have the power to intervene before violence turns deadly.
Preventing intimate partner homicide requires a coordinated, trauma-informed response:
- Invest in prevention education to reach people before abuse begins
- Offer safety planning for survivors at every risk level
- Enforce restraining orders and firearm restrictions
- Train professionals across law enforcement, courts, health care, and education to recognize and respond to early warning signs
- Believe and support survivors at the first sign of harm
Together, we can disrupt the cycle of domestic violence.
The Second Step offers tailored services to guide survivors on their unique path to safety, stability, healing, and hope.
If you or someone you know is or may be experiencing abuse, please call The Second Step at 617-965-2538. We provide free legal representation in restraining order and family law matters, crisis intervention and safety planning, access to resources, and education throughout eastern Massachusetts, including Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Suffolk counties.
For more information, please visit thesecondstep.org.
Contact: Suzanne Wakefield
617-965-3999