According to Norfolk NCIS, Hampton Roads numbers for reported cases of both child and spouse abuse went from 309 in 1997 to 629 in 1998. But those numbers don't tell the whole story. And NCIS officials believe the increase is based on more accurate accounting, as a result of the new special unit to handle such cases, rather than more incidents. While some wives seek help through the Navy, many ultimately look to the civilian world. Occasionally, Navy Family Services employees even drop them off at local shelters for abuse victims.
Civilian agencies can sometimes deal with legal issues faster and with more confidentiality.
However, if charges are pursued through civilian police departments and courts, arrests and sentences will ultimately be tracked by the military. Often, though, wives are simply seeking a way out apart from legal recourse. She had the charge reduced from domestic violence to disorderly conduct to protect her husband's record. In 1997 and 1998, she called the police again, and her husband was convicted of domestic violence both times, resulting in a few nights in jail and orders to take an anger management class. In January, he assaulted her again, she said, slamming her head with a telephone.