Montebello High Girls Warned Against Domestic Violence

MONTEBELLO - Domestic violence can touch anyone of any race, gender, age or educational level at any time - and it's also one of the most chronically underreported crimes, despite statistics that show about a quarter of females will experience it in their lifetimes.

That's according to a cadre of law enforcement, school and community leaders who gathered Thursday at Montebello High School, where hundreds of girls heard a combination of personal stories and jarring statistics that brought awareness of the issue - and the local resources available to help combat it.

It was part of a "Be Your Best" program spearheaded by the Soroptimist International of Montebello, which also held a parent forum Thursday evening on the issue to make sure the anti-domestic violence message got across.

Gerri Guzman, Soroptimist member and Montebello Unified School District trustee, said studies have shown undocumented immigrants often don't report domestic violence for fear of deportation.

That's why it was important to get information out to both students and parents at the predominantly Hispanic school, Guzman said, "so that where a parent maybe doesn't want to say something, the student might feel comfortable enough to come forward."

"I believe that schools should be the civic centers of the community," said Guzman, who helped organize the assemblies. "So if our children or parents need to find resources, what better place is there to find that out then a school?"

The assemblies began with a presentation by Contra Costa County sheriff's Deputy Maria Patrisia Rodriguez and Deputy Chief Allwyn Brown, who are based in Northern California.

As a survivor of domestic violence - her father burned down the house where she, her siblings and mother lived after they left him - Rodriguez laid out her personal story and those of various women she'd come to know over the years.

In many of the cases, the women had married as young as 15 and often endured physical, sexual and emotional abuse before finding the courage to leave.

Jealousy, possessiveness, control and isolation are the hallmarks of an abusive relationship - but school officials reminded girls that any trusted teacher, counselor or school administrator can assist them in getting help.

"Sometimes, these kinds of assemblies triggers thoughts and feelings that are difficult for you," Montebello High counselor Roseann Castalicchio told the girls. "But we're all here to speak to you and get you some help."

Others on hand at the student and parent assemblies were representatives from the Mexican Consulate, the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, Montebello Police Department and various local counseling agencies.

"We're hoping to do something like this on a regular basis," Guzman said. "This is a big issue for some people, and we want to be able to help."