Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Don’t stay silent. It’s time to speak up all month long.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which first began in 1981 by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence as a Day of Unity to connect battered women’s advocates across the country.

Domestic violence affects millions, both women and men, of every race, religion, culture and status. It’s not just punches and black eyes -- it’s yelling, humiliation, stalking, manipulation, coercion, threats and isolation. It’s stealing a paycheck, keeping tabs online, non-stop texting, constant use the silent treatment, or calling someone stupid so often they believe it.

Domestic Violence Awareness

Domestic violence - one of the major problems facing society today. Though the movement against this evil has gathered momentum during the past few years, many victims of domestic violence still choose to suffer in silence. A study shows that around five million women in the country face domestic violence every year. Additionally, around ten million kids are abused by their parents or other people close to them.

Many victims fail to act promptly because they do not understand domestic violence. The need of the hour is to spread awareness about the evil of domestic violence.

Domestic violence: An introduction

Simply put, domestic violence is violence perpetrated by an individual on another individual in a domestic setting, including in a marriage or cohabitation. Domestic violence can involve violence against a partner, spouse, senior citizens, or kids. It has been observed that women are the victims in most domestic violence cases. 

Domestic violence is among the most under-reported crimes in the world. In many cases, both the abuser and the victim believe that violence is both acceptable and justified, and the abuse is an entitlement. Many abusers believe that their acts won’t be reported and they can get away with almost anything. In abusive relationships, an abuser often tries to reconcile with the victim after committing an act of violence.

Domestic violence victims are often trapped in domestic violence situations through power and control and traumatic bonding to the abuser. Many victims cannot get out of the vicious cycle due to the lack of financial resources or the fear of ostracism.

Forms of domestic violence

Physical abuse

Physical abuse involves inflicting bodily harm to the victim. It is not uncommon for an abuser to target their victim’s pets, kids, or any other person/object with whom they share an emotional connection. This is done to inflict emotional harm to the person.

Strangulation is one of the most common forms of physical abuse. Because of the lack of awareness and inadequate medical training, the problem often goes undetected. To address this problem, many US states have enacted specific laws related to strangulation.

Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse involves coercing a person to perform sexual acts. Sexual abuse may involve pursuing sexual activities with an unconscious/semi-conscious partner, uninvited touching, unwanted sexual intercourse, and forcing a partner to have sexual intercourse without protection against unwanted pregnancy or STDs. Sexual abuse also includes female genital mutilation and obligatory inspections for virginity. Sexual abuse may also take the form of incest or sexual contact between a child and an adult.

Emotional abuse

Emotional abuse involves any action intended to demean or degrade the victim in public or private. Some common tactics used by abusers include belittling the victim, publicly humiliating them, personal devaluation, yelling, constant criticism, and withholding information. Emotional abuse is often perpetrated by an ex-partner and may involve stalking. These tactics often make the victim feel that their abuser has the upper hand in the relationship.

Economic abuse

A person perpetrating economic abuse tries limiting their victim’s access to financial resources. Economic abuse may include withholding resources/assets, forcing a family member to sign a document, or changing a will. These acts are committed to make the victim economically dependant on the abuser.

Safety tips for victims

l Take photos of the injuries. Save threatening voicemails and get copies of your medical records.

• Hide important documents at a friend’s place
• Obtain a protection order
• Avoid wearing items that can be used to strangulate you
• Plan an escape route
• Keep weapons secured. Make sure guns, if any, are unloaded.

How can victims get help?

To help domestic violence victims, the federal government runs various hotlines, including:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224
• National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline 1-866-331-9474
• National Sexual Assault Helpline 1-800-656-4673

Koury is a proud partner and sponsor of The Bella Foundation to help break the vicious cycle of domestic violence. Visit thebella.org for more information on how you can help.

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