Domestic violence, which has South Carolina in a headlock, seems to have struck again. On Feb. 15, a woman’s screams for help alerted neighbors in Horry County that something was terribly wrong. Responding officers found Ebonetess Davis, 20, stabbed to death. A short time later police arrested 32-year-old Lekan Fawmi, who reportedly lived in the home with the victim. Her tragic death marked her as the third person to die allegedly as a result of domestic violence in Horry County in less than two months.

Rodney Barner, 38, of Myrtle Beach is charged with kidnapping former girlfriend Janie Jackson on Jan. 19. Police said she died the next day from injuries she suffered after she jumped from Barner’s car trying to escape. During the week of Feb. 7, Garden City resident Malcolm Graham was killed by a single gunshot blast to his chest. Police said that he was shot during an argument with his live-in girlfriend, Tracy Lynn Dowell. She is charged with murder.

These are the most recent domestic homicide arrests in our state, which appears to be plagued with this issue.

South Carolina ranks sixth in the nation for numbers of women killed by men. In 2003, 36 women were victims of domestic homicide. That equates to three per month.

In all of these cases, the perpetrator had a known history of battering, and in spite of numerous contacts with law enforcement, the judicial system and in some cases local advocacy organizations, these women still died.

Every year police respond to thousands of domestic violence calls. There are those who shrug and say, essentially, that there is nothing we can do. But doing nothing is not an option.

The costs are far too high, in terms of both human suffering and dollars, not to mention the lifelong trauma that must be dealt with. Just a few statistics:

• About 3.3 million children are exposed each year to domestic violence against their mothers or female caretakers, and we know that children learn what they live.

• 37 percent of women who sought treatment in emergency rooms for violence-related injuries were injured by a current or former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend.

• Domestic violence is a major public health issue. Costs associated with this crime exceed $5 billion annually.

The situation is outrageous, given that responsible action can be taken to bring this carnage under control.

We have made progress, and there are a number of admirable efforts being made. Attorney General Henry McMaster has taken a public stand to address domestic violence. He has used his office to bring attention to this tragedy and initiated a number of projects to combat it. His pro bono attorney program recruits and trains lawyers willing to donate their time to prosecute misdemeanor cases of domestic violence.

There is a plethora of evidence that suggests that responding to domestic violence in its early stages, before it has reached lethal levels, is one beneficial way to intervene. The pro bono attorneys are doing just that, and are sending a clear message to batterers that they will be held accountable in South Carolina. An important grant has been submitted by the attorney general’s office to the U.S. Justice Department. If funded, it would provide, among other things, special help to victims in rural areas.

The 2005 session of the General Assembly is under way, and once again, our legislators have the opportunity to address this tragic issue.

Most of the women who are murdered each year are killed by an intimate partner, and more than two-thirds are killed by guns. For the seventh consecutive year, legislation has been introduced that would remove guns from convicted criminal domestic violence offenders, this time by Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter. It is perhaps one of the most forward-thinking, comprehensive pieces of legislation introduced in some time and would go a long way toward preventing domestic violence deaths. It has not yet been discussed in committee, and the clock is ticking.

Given how domestic violence plagues our state in destructive and insidious ways, it is difficult to understand the reluctance that some legislators exhibit when it comes to acting progressively, and effectively, to bring the situation under control. Being in the top 10 in this regard is not a source of pride for South Carolinians.

There is no doubt that adopting these changes would reduce the numbers of injuries and domestic homicides in South Carolina. Other states have vigorously pursued these options with positive results. They have acted with success to remove themselves from the list of worst states. Certainly, South Carolina’s families deserve no less.

Ms. Bourus is executive director of the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.