No one deserves to be abused. Crisis Services are offered by Cedar Valley Friends of the Family for persons affected by the crimes of domestic abuse and sexual assault. A wide variety of services are available to help victims with ALL of their needs. These free & confidential services are individualized and designed to help individuals and their families get through the crisis.

Crisis Services are offered by Cedar Valley Friends of the Family for persons affected by the crimes of domestic abuse and sexual assault. A wide variety of services are available to help victims with ALL of their needs. These free & confidential services are individualized and designed to help individuals and their families get through the crisis.

List of services:

By The Numbers: Iowa Statistics What is domestic abuse? Domestic abuse is a pattern of abusive behavior used to control one's partner. Abusive behavior usually increases in frequency and severity over time.

Domestic Violence...the facts:

• 167 Iowans have been killed in domestic abuse murders since 1/1/1995
• 1011 women have been killed by their partners
• 18 men have been killed by their partners
• 38 bystanders have been killed in domestic violence murders
• 20 children were killed in domestic abuse murders
• 13 children were killed by their fathers;
• 1 child was killed by her stepfather;
• 5 children were killed by a man that lived with them and their mother;
• 1 child was killed by a man who had dated her mother.

• 180 daughters and sons survive these women and men
• 124 of the surviving children are minors
• 53 children were present at the scene of the murder

• 13-17 year olds were most often the victims of a forcible rape in 2003
• 21-29 year olds were reported victims second most often
• There was a 12% increase in sex offenses since 2003. In 2005, 2,358 sex offenses were reported to Iowa law enforcement agencies:
• 861 Forcible rapes
• 1,064 Reports of forcible fondling
• 79 Sexual assaults with an object
• 124 Reports of forcible sodomy
• 50 Reports of incest
• 180 Reports of statutory rape

• Sexual abuse - Adult (18 or over)                   1,726
• Sexual abuse - Adolescent (13-17)                   645
• Sexual abuse - Child (12 & under)                    431
• Incest survivor - Adult (18 or over)                   283
• Parents of sexually abused child (under 18)     266
• Total:                                                               3,351
  
   
  
  
  
  

Cedar Valley Friends of the Family's Service Numbers  In 2005, CVFF received a private foundation grant to remodel and expand Friends House, our safe shelter. We increased from 2 bedrooms/8 beds to 5 bedrooms/14 beds! Astonishingly we have seen the shelter full numerous times since the construction was finished. Memorial Day weekend, 2007 18 people shared shelter space and during the month of September, 2007 there were no empty beds.  

The table below shows the shelter usage over the past five years.

Nights of Shelter:

2002-2003              541
2003-2004            1,351
2004-2005            1,172
2005-2006            1,537
2006-2007            1,984