State’s Attorney Glasgow speaks to National Hook-Up of Black Women about link between violent entertainment, domestic abuse

November 2

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow, speaking to the Joliet Chapter of National Hook-Up of Black Women this weekend, called upon the community to reject ultra-violent popular entertainment that leads to violence against women.

State’s Attorney Glasgow, in a presentation to more than 60 women on Joliet’s East Side, outlined how his specialized domestic violence unit handles the prosecution of domestic abuse cases in Will County. His team of prosecutors and victim advocates works closely with domestic violence victims to encourage them to follow through with the prosecution of their abusers.

Because they are in relationships with their abusers, battered women often decline to appear in court to testify at trial, leaving prosecutors little choice but to dismiss the charges. But a $1.5 million federal grant has enabled the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office to pump additional resources into the specialized unit, which has succeeded in giving a greater number of victims the confidence to pursue their cases to conviction.

The state’s attorney also decried the extreme violence in many R-rated movies and video games, like Grand Theft Auto. This entertainment, particularly when placed by adults into the hands of children, desensitizes young minds to such behavior and promotes violence against women.

“Adults in our community must be aware of what is contained in these violent movies and videogames,” Glasgow said. “We must work at the grassroots level to stop domestic abuse. One critical step we can take is to refuse to allow our children access to such senseless and mind-numbing violence.”

The state’s attorney also encouraged men in the community to take a stand against domestic abuse. It sends a strong message to abusers when other men speak out against domestic battery and take the necessary steps to stop violence against women, he said.