In 2015, 68 people were killed in Washington state as a result of domestic violence, according to statistics from the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Five of those deaths occurred in King County.

Enumclaw and Covington are participating in the seventh annual Purple Light Nights to raise domestic violence awareness.

The Purple Light Nights campaign started in Covington and is now held nationally in 32 states as well as in Canada and Guam, Victoria Throm said.

“It continues to grow each year,” she said.

Throm along with Curt Lindsley founded Covington’s Domestic Violence Task Force in June 2004, a sponsors of the event.

Throm wrote in an email that answering the question why victims stay in abusive relationships is “very complicated and not so easy. It is also the most dangerous time for a victim when she leaves since the abuser begins to lose his control and often becomes more violent.”

Throm provided some reasons why victims stay in an abusive relationship, provided by the Domestic Abuse Women’s Network:

• Fear of retaliation against the victim, children, friends or family members.

• Partner may threaten to kill her or other family members if she leaves, threatens to kill himself, or escalates his violence in an attempt to hold her in the relationship.

• Fear of losing children or placing children in danger, either in a custody battle or because of partner’s threats.

• Fear of an inadequate or harmful response by the criminal justice system and other institutions.

• Fear that no one will believe her. Abusers are often respected and popular members of the community who keep their violence and controlling behaviors secret from the public. Victims of domestic violence know this, increasing her fear that no one will believe her. Because she believes many people will not understand the seriousness of the violence, she feels they will not support her disruption to the family.

• Fear of being deported for undocumented persons who are victims of domestic violence.

• Fear of being blackmailed; an abusive partner may have threatened to reveal to the authorities any wrongdoing such as alcohol or drug abuse. In same-sex relationships, the fear of job loss or losing one’s children if the victim’s sexual orientation is revealed.

• Fear of losing her support systems. In order to escape their partner’s threats of retaliation, many victims of domestic violence have to leave the community that provided them with support. This is especially difficult for women whose ethnic, racial, and/or cultural heritage, language, and experiences are affirmed by her community, for example African American, Jewish, Latina, Native American.

• The abuser has literally isolated her. For example, an abuser may prohibit their partner from using the phone, may insist on transporting her to work, may read her mail, forbid her from seeing family or friends, etc.

• Hope for change and batterer’s treatment. Victims of domestic violence are reluctant to leave when their partners are in treatment. They believe the treatment will motivate their partners to change and stop the abuse. Therefore, it is very important that survivors of domestic violence are referred by law enforcement to domestic violence programs so that they can be informed about treatment programs for abusers and evaluate whether these programs are likely to effect the change that will make life safe for them.

ECONOMIC PRESSURES

• May lack job skills or formal education.

• Usually faces severe housing shortages and/or discrimination against women with children. May lack the ability to pay a security deposit.

• May face losing their house, furniture and all other resources held in the batterer’s name.

• May face difficulty in collecting child support or the possibility of losing custody of the children.

• May fear losing their job because of the missed work and disruptions caused by leaving or the need to remain in hiding.

• Partner may threaten to withhold support.