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DEL.ICIO.USAre abusers victims too?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Violence against women is a major public health crisis and a human rights problem, according to the World Health Organization.
Women worldwide are more likely to be sexually and physically assaulted and even murdered by their intimate partners in their own homes than by anyone else or anywhere else.
Violence against women transcends all of those things that usually divide people, such as race, culture, class, income levels, and wealth.
Poor Third World women and well-to-do, educated women in the United States, such as Gwinnett County resident and pre-school teacher Jennifer Barber Corbin and dental student Dorothy “Dolly” Hearn, have nearly an equal chance to encounter in-home violence and death by a spouse or lover.
Both Jennifer Corbin and Dolly Hearn were murdered in their homes by Barton Corbin, who was a dentist in Dacula before his arrest.
Last month, Barton Corbin admitted to killing both women as part of a plea agreement. Jennifer Corbin was killed on Dec. 4, 2004 by a gunshot wound to the head. Jennifer Corbin’s body was discovered by her 7-year -old son Dalton. Dolly Hearn was killed in almost an identical way by Corbin, when both were dental students at Medical College of Georgia in Augusta in 1990.
The crime scenes in both instances were made to appear like the women had committed suicide. Not until Jennifer Corbin died did investigators take a closer look at Barton Corbin in the death of Dolly Hearn. Barton Corbin finished dental school and went on with his life seemingly unaffected by the murder of Hearn for 14 years until the death of his wife Jennifer caused investigators to re-open the case.
Murder is the most dramatic outcome of domestic violence. Most domestic violence is chronic emotional and physical battering. This kind of violence may not kill you but it eats away at one’s self-esteem. Moreover, all domestic violence has the potential to become lethal.
In 2005, a total of 1,649 cases of domestic violence were presented to the Gwinnett Solicitor General’s office for prosecution, says Rosanna Szabo, Gwinnett County Solicitor General. Most of these cases were classified as misdemeanors. Szabo advises to get a more accurate count on reports of domestic violence in Gwinnett that one should go to the individual police departments within the county and ask for their statistics.
Domestic violence negatively impacts everyone. Even if you do not know a person affected by domestic violence you still cannot escape its impact. The consequence of domestic violence affects our health, educational and legal systems.
Moreover, the family and friends of women like Jennifer Barber Corbin and Dolly Hearn who were killed by domestic violence, forever mourn the loss of women who were their mothers, sisters, daughters, nieces, and best friends. And we - the larger society in the case of Jennifer and Dolly - have lost out on the gifts of women who chose to become an educator and a dentist and help their communities in needed and valuable ways.
Perhaps Barton Corbin in a strange way has suffered the largest and most devastating loss because of domestic violence because he seems to have lost his humanity and his soul.
Are batterers victims of domestic violence who didn’t get the help they needed? Should we feel sorry for Barton Corbin? Have you suffered from domestic violence and, if so, what did you do about it?
Permalink | Comments (12) | Categories: Beni Dakar
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By My domestic violence story...
October 10, 2006 08:06 AM | Link to this
When I was a kid my dad would pop off once in a while. Mostly he went to work and took care of the bills; but occasionally he was a real jerk. I remember once he tore up the house. He fussed and cussed at my mother who was very ill at the time and could barely move due to arthritis. He used a hammer to destroy the walls and furniture. We went to stay with my mother’s sisters and our grandmother for several months afterward. While we were gone the old man had the house repaired and spruced up. I remember everyone being impressed because of the new siding, wall paper, carpet, and furniture. I did not have the words to express it then (about age six) — but I knew something was wrong. He had to fix up the place, because he had destroyed it in a fit of rage against my sick mother and us. Now he is an old man (mom passed away) and I don’t call or visit often. I love him, but this and other domestic violence episodes lives in my memory and I just don’t have warm fuzzy feelings towards him. You reap what you sow.
By TJ
October 10, 2006 08:08 AM | Link to this
Corbin is a cold blooded murderer and should be in JAIL forever.
By Law Dog
October 10, 2006 08:45 AM | Link to this
Are batterers victims of domestic violence who didn’t get the help they needed?
I’m sorry, are you serious? No, they are CRIMINALS. They deserve JAIL. But rarely will a “enlightened” jury in this metro area convict because they want to freaking see actually video of the incident or some other nonsense. Instead of looking for “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” they look for “proof beyond ALL doubt”. Whatever. People need to realize that stopping a batterer now prevents a murder later.
By Perhaps Corbin is a victim
October 10, 2006 08:45 AM | Link to this
What made Corbin violent and mean and quick to anger? What made him capable of murder?
How was he raised? How was he treated? What influenced him to be selfish and cruel? Why couldn’t he control himself?
For someone who had everything going for him, there must be some horror under the surface.
However, there are no excuses for premeditated murder, and he should remain in prison for life.
By Someone close to the situation
October 10, 2006 08:49 AM | Link to this
The odd thing about Bart is that he was able to be successful in every other facet of life. One would think that his upbringing shaped his actions later on, but then his other two brothers (including a twin) are not killing people that attempt to break up with them. These siblings, too, grew up in the same environment, and one could argue that his twin grew up in a practically identical environment.
I have read or heard nothing that says Bart was a victim of domestic violence. Let’s be clear that this isn’t necessarily a fact but only a point to ponder for an academic exercise.
Bart was first a stalker, then a murderer. I’m not sure that stalking is shown to be a consistent result of domestic violence. Maybe your next article could explore that further.
No normal mind can ever understand the mind of a sociopath. This Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde behavior is way beyond logic. The sad thing is that nothing has been gained from all of this, but numerous lives have been destroyed… And no remorse has been demonstrated.
By Victim, are you kidding?
October 10, 2006 09:14 AM | Link to this
I grew up in an abusive household. I too have many siblings and we have all reacted differently to the abuse we suffered. I have one sibling who chose to pass on the abuse to the next generation, several who abused themselves (alcohol, drugs, abusive significant others, etc.) and still others who married abusive spouses and don’t have the confidence in themselves to leave that situation. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to avoid all of this. I decided that my kids would have a childhood and be nowhere near any situation where abuse existed. I am happy to say they are happy adults who have never been abused. So even without counseling, I was determined that I would not pass this on. We don’t know, and have not heard, of any form of abuse in this man’s background yet you want to consider that he too could be a victim. No. I will save my sympathy for the true victims in this world. Any “victim” can decide to do good in the world, not hurt others.
By Gillian
October 10, 2006 11:58 AM | Link to this
Victim, are you kidding? Said:
We don’t know, and have not heard, of any form of abuse in this man’s background yet you want to consider that he too could be a victim.* No. I will save my sympathy for the true victims in this world. Any “victim� can decide to do good in the world, not hurt others.*
I totally agree with you. We all have the free will to decide how we will think, feel, and respond to our circumstances, including Corbin.
By Lois
October 10, 2006 12:07 PM | Link to this
I think that there is a big difference between a reason and an excuse. A bad childhood might be one of the reasons a person grows up to be an abuser or criminal; however, it does not excuse the crime they commit. They are responsible for their own behaviors, and therefore must pay the price our society places if you are convicted of a crime.
We can feel sorry for the horrible circumstances that someone grew up in without feeling sorry for the criminal himself. Our real challenge is in trying to identify and fix these types of problems in our young people BEFORE they become criminals.
By Ellen G
October 11, 2006 03:27 PM | Link to this
Lois I never looked at it your way before but it makes perfect sense. There is a difference between having a reason or explanation for something v. having an execuse for something.
Maybe there are some good reasons why Corbin turned out to be the superior jerk that he has become. But whatever those reasons he is still responsible for his bad actions and nothing can excuse him from killing Jennifer and Dolly. Corbin deserves to rot in jail. Actually jail is too good for this creep.
By GT girl
October 12, 2006 05:30 PM | Link to this
Here are some facts about domestic violence:
-A woman is beaten every 9 seconds in the U.S. -Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15-44 in the U.S., more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. -50% of all homeless women and children are fleeing domestic violence.
Domestic violence is a huge issue for every woman. Personally, I wasn’t aware it was as common as it is until I joined my sorority, Alpha Chi Omega. One of our national philanthropies is helping victims of domestic violence, and I have learned so much about how important an issue this is. The Georgia Tech chapter holds a Race Against Domestic Violence annually, with proceeds to benefit victims. It’s a great way to help out. There’s a 1 mile, a 5K, and a 10K. For more information and to register, go to www.raceagainstdv.com
By ATICO
October 12, 2006 09:25 PM | Link to this
Women are really strange creatures. Instead of pursuing the nice men in town they go for the jock, dudes that drink, jerks that use illegal drugs and then when they get the crap kicked out of them its too late. They stay with their loser for one of two reasons. 1. Security. 2. Plain ignorance.
Only a small percentage of women are abused for no reason. They are usually too stupid to keep their mouth shut when some thug threatens them, or they knew the beater was a loser when she decided to beome his “property.” Sad but true. The less income and education, the worse the abuser hurts their partner. The third world countries are full of abusers, and the abusee expects to get the hell beat out of her on a weekly basis, and will protect the abuser if he is confronted by the authorities for his miss deeds. Sad, sad, sad.
What to do? Think 10 or more times before committing to some hot shot as I descibed in my first paragraph.
By Kasey
October 19, 2006 11:07 AM | Link to this
FEEL SORRY for Bart??? Uh no way in hell! I was too an abused child.
Do I kill? No. Do I abuse? No. Do I stalk? No.
The ones we should feel sorry for is Jenn and Dolly. To have had to live with this psycho and his anger and violence.
Instead during this whole case, Jenn was tried in the media. That is just SICK! We should NOT feel sorry for Bart. We should however feel sorry for Dillon and Dalton, the truly innocent here. These are tender young souls who have to go through their entire lives without their beautiful mother who loved them more than live itself. They will never know her heart and her love. Also we should feel sorry for Heather, Jenn’s sister who was he true best friend and who is now raising Dillon and Dalton. We should feel sorry for Narda and Max, Jenns parents who had to bury their beautiful daughter. Also for Dolly’s whole family who lived for over a decade with no vaidation for what they knew in their hearts, that Bart killed their precious Dolly. We should also feel sorry for ourselves and society, for we have a world without Jenn and Dolly. How many children’s lives did Jenn touch and make better? How many friends and family members feel utterly lost and alone without Jenn and Dolly in them? Bart is a MONSTOR and deserves no consideration, no peace and no mercy, just like he gave his victims!