According to information provided by the Leavenworth County Alliance Against Family Violence, between 2 million and 4 million American women are battered annual by their partners. And battering is the single-major cause of injury to women.

So that’s the national picture.

That’s not Leavenworth County, right? Wrong.

According to the alliance, 2,108 domestic violence incidents were reported from 2002 through 2004 in Leavenworth County. In Tonganoxie, 46 incidents were reported.

Countywide, 208 sexual assaults occurred during that period, with four of them reported in Tonganoxie.

“Just because we’re in a small town, doesn’t mean we’re safer,” said Kay Anderson of the Leavenworth County Sexual Assault Center. “But the reality is domestic violence and sexual assault know no boundaries.”

And while most statistics focus on the effects that domestic violence have on women because 95 percent of victims are female, women are not the only victims of this crime. Many times, children become victims — and they are harmed physically or emotionally, or both.

The Alliance Against Family Violence certainly plays an important role in Leavenworth County, helping victims wrestle themselves from harmful or potentially harmful situations.

And as alliance members call attention to domestic-violence issues this month, it is an opportunity for all county residents to take stock of relationships. The alliance encourages reporting of suspected abusive relationships. And the alliance offers help to people who are in abusive relationships.

A simple telephone call can make a difference. A simple telephone call, before it’s too late, can save someone from emotional and physical injury, or death.

The alliance’s crisis line can be reached at (913) 682-9131 or (toll-free) at (800) 644-1441.

If you’re in an abusive relationship and need help, call. If you know of someone in an abusive relationship and you want help helping them, call.

Don’t let the number of battered women increase because you didn’t dial a telephone number.