This year I watched “The Roses” at Breckenridge’s Eclipse Theater. It was an entertaining story about a couple that goes from bliss to anger and violence largely due to the wife becoming more successful than her husband. The movie was marketed as a comedy, but in real life there is nothing amusing about domestic violence. 

When we think about crime in Summit County, theft of skis or DUIs might first come to mind, but criminal incidents involving domestic violence are common and deserve more public awareness. In 2024 there were 194 calls to the Summit County 911 Center for suspected domestic violence. There were 76 arrests involving domestic violence made by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office in both 2023 and 2024. Breckenridge police made 35 arrests involving domestic violence in 2024. 

Domestic violence is not treated as an independent crime in Colorado but rather as a sentencing enhancer to a misdemeanor or felony such as assault or harassment involving an intimate relationship. Colorado is a mandatory arrest state, so police must arrest a person if they have probable cause to believe domestic violence has occurred. In addition, the accused cannot bond out of jail before seeing a judge, so they will likely spend at least one night in the county jail. 

A few decades ago it was common for police in various jurisdictions to not treat domestic violence as a crime but as just “a little domestic dispute.” Lt. Mike Schilling of the Summit County Sheriff’s Office emphasized that their officers take domestic violence extremely seriously. Their domestic violence training and policy reflects their commitment to protecting victims and holding offenders accountable. 

We are fortunate to have ARISE in Summit County to provide a 24-hour crisis line, advice and support for domestic violence survivors and a safe house. The ARISE crisis line received 642 calls in 2024 and provided services to 363 new clients. ARISE offers a pathway to hope and self-sufficiency by providing the tools to start a new life, including shelter, financial assistance, and relocation support. 

The National Domestic Hotline reports that “survivors of abuse return to their abusive partners an average of seven times before they leave for good.” We may wonder why someone would stay with an abusive partner, but we have to remember that abuse is about power and control.  

There can be strong barriers to leaving such as fear of increased violence, the welfare of children, financial dependence, emotional manipulation, isolation, shame, and lack of support from friends and relatives.  

Torey Ivanic, Outreach and Education Coordinator for ARISE, teaches the elective course “Healthy Choices” to seventh graders at Summit County Public Schools. It was troubling to hear from Torey that only about 20% of students (or their parents) opt into this class. The majority of seventh graders are passing up this perfect opportunity to have valuable discussions about sexuality, consent, and healthy relationships.  

Torey said “Healthy Choices” teaches how good relationships include mutual respect, open and honest communication, trust, support, shared decision making, and feeling safe and valued. Teens need to be able to spot red flags such as controlling behavior, jealousy or possessiveness, isolation from friends and family, constant criticism, and guilt-tripping or threats. Teens should be encouraged to set boundaries and say “no” without feeling guilty and speaking up when something doesn’t feel right. Teens armed with this knowledge will be able to have better relationships in school and be less apt to enter into relationships in later life that become abusive. For an insightful take on consent watch “Can I borrow your snowboard?” on the ARISE website AriseSummitCo.org/post/shatter-the-silence-consent.

The women’s advocacy organization Our Watch warns that “violence is more common in relationships where men make all the decisions, feel they “own” their partners or hold rigid ideas about how women should behave.” In recent years there has been an ignorant longing for “the good old days” when society was far more male dominated and the perfect wife aspired only to changing diapers and baking casseroles. The combination of this nostalgia for the 1950s and the misogyny and sexism promoted by social media and many politicians reinforces a sense of entitlement in some men that can result in more domestic violence. 

The National Domestic Violence Hotline reports that over 12 million people in the U.S. are victims of intimate partner violence each year. If you are being subjected to domestic violence call ARISE (1-970-668-3906) or The National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) for advice and support. Victims are not the cause of anger and abuse; the abuser is responsible for their own behavior. No one deserves to be abused or live in fear. 

Paul Olson’s column “A Friendly Conservative” publishes biweekly on Tuesdays in the Summit Daily News. Olson has lived in Breckenridge since 1995. Semiretired, he works at REI in Dillon and enjoys snowboarding, Nordic skiing and hiking. Contact him at pobreck@gmail.com.