Troy

David Warren wants to get the obvious thing out of the way at the outset.

Yes, he is the first man to direct domestic violence services in the 44-year history of Unity House. He's among a small number of males who hold similar positions across the country.

Now, he'd like to move past that fact.

"When you build a rapport and show you're here to help all victims of domestic violence, gender kind of goes away," he said. "The reaction has been very positive."

Warren, 28, who grew up in Oradell, N.J., is no newcomer to the field. He had an internship in 2008 at Unity House while completing a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and political science at the University at Albany.

For seven years, he worked part-time as a court monitor in domestic violence court cases and on other facets of domestic abuse at Unity House while he earned a master's degree in criminal justice from UAlbany and a law degree at Albany Law School in 2015.

He was named to the new position this summer and oversees a staff of 30 full-time employees, several part-time workers and a $2.5 million budget.

Warren has no firsthand experience with domestic violence, but he's been interested in social justice since he was a teenager, after being raised in a household attuned to inequity. His mother is a special education teacher. His father died at 50 of colon cancer when Warren was 19.

"That changed me as a person and how I see the world," Warren said. "I saw a lot of resilience in him and I see a lot of resilience now in our clients."

The numbers indicate the extent of domestic violence in Rensselaer County. In 2014, 120 adults and 98 children took refuge in the 33-bed shelter, Sojourner Place, whose location is a closely guarded secret to protect residents from abusers.

The facility moved in 2012, nearly doubled its capacity and still operates at capacity.

If the shelter is full, it has agreements with neighboring counties or will place victims in hotels as a last resort. "Time is of the essence in this field," Warren said. "We can't put a victim on a waiting list."

Last year, 1,173 people received non-residential services, 2,680 calls were logged at the county's domestic violence hot line, 219 victims participated in support groups and 84 families were given help in finding apartments.

More Information The Unity House 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline is (518) 272-2370. New York State's 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline is (800) 942-6906 for English or (800) 942-6908 for Spanish. To learn more about domestic violence services, go to http://www.unityhouseny.org. Or call their Troy office at (518) 274-2607. See More Collapse

The numbers have risen slightly in 2015. The youngest victim this year was 16, the oldest in her 60s. The average age is early 30s. Less than 10 percent of victims are male, including those in homosexual and heterosexual relationships. There have been increases in recent years of domestic violence against teenagers and transgender people.

The average length of stay in the shelter is two months. About 90 percent of the victims come from urban and suburban areas, with 10 percent from rural communities in Rensselaer County.

"Domestic violence is about power and control and that cuts across all factors," he said.

His legal background helps him understand the loopholes in domestic violence laws and he advocates for tougher penalties.

"Abusers need to be held accountable for the crime of domestic violence," he said. "It's not about giving them anger management lessons."

Although each case is unique, many of the victims experience a cycle of abuse common in domestic violence. During the escalation phase, the battered person fears more violence and ends up "walking on eggshells." The blow-up phase typically involves physical and sexual violence. The victim tries to leave and the batterer resorts to the "honeymoon phase" where the abuser feigns contrition and manipulates the victim into staying.

Surveys have found that it generally takes seven to 11 of these cycles before the victim finally leaves. Victims stay because the abuser threatened physical violence or killed a pet as a warning.

Safe Haven, a recently added program at the Hudson Mohawk Humane Society, has helped more victims leave their abusers by providing free care of dogs and cats at the animal shelter and visitation rights for the pet owner while the victim is staying at the Unity House shelter, which does not allow pets.

"It's been a game-changer," Warren said. Some victims would not leave an abuser without bringing along a beloved pet.

Another positive development: domestic violence specialists recently completed a five-hour session on domestic violence protocols for all members of the Troy Police Department. If an officer determines the victim is in grave danger, a call is made to the hot line and assistance is set in motion.

Domestic violence remains an underreported crime, but fresh cases of abuse arise each week in the county. Warren's staff has picked up women at hospital emergency departments with injuries that include bruises, fractures, knife wounds and burns.

Some women flee batterers in their night clothes after breaking out of a locked bedroom or drive away with traumatized children, carrying a garbage bag or two of personal belongings they managed to throw together during an improvised flight when the opportunity for a getaway arose.

Warren and his staff solicit donations of clothing and other household items for domestic violence victims. The long-term solution of finding a new apartment is a challenge because victims are often impoverished. Housing assistance from the county Department of Social Services is below the Troy area's fair-market rental rate of $782 for a one-bedroom apartment, $968 for a two-bedroom and $1,206 for a three-bedroom.

Adult victims and their children often need extensive counseling because of psychological abuse. Unity House has a licensed social worker and mental health counselor on staff.

A new initiative includes training sessions at high schools across the county to combat a startling statistic: 1 in 3 teens will be victims of dating violence.

"Prevention is the key to breaking the cycle of abuse," he said. "It's all part of building a community that has zero tolerance for domestic violence."

The statistic that spurred Warren to work in the field in the first place is this: 1 in 4 women will be victims of domestic violence in their lifetime.

"I find that unacceptable," he said. "It's a human rights issue. We all deserve to live free of violence."

pgrondahl@timesunion.com • 518-454-5623 • @PaulGrondahl