The programs, said [Robin Smith], are designed to "raise the consciousness" of clergy that violence in the family exists; to help church professionals know what they should do and what they cannot do; and, to encourage a co-operative approach with, among others, social agencies, hospitals, police and community groups.

"Some clergy, especially in some denominations, have a very deep, strong feeling that their first priority is to save the marriage," Smith said. "They talk about the sanctity of the home when the sanctity of the home is already shattered by these violent acts and no longer exists.

Tacit support by churches of a "patriarchal" structure that permitted the man as head of the family to do what he pleased and the idea that a woman should suffer in silence for the sake of the family have been contributing factors, Smith said.