In tears, a battered woman picks herself up and runs to the restroom to cover the new bruise, as thoughts of “He was just having a bad day; I shouldn’t have provoked him” and “he won’t do it again” flood her mind, justifying his behavior. Unfortunately, that is the life of one in four women.
Domestic abuse is a pattern of controlling behavior over another in a relationship in order to maintain or exert power. Anyone, no matter their race, gender or age can be affected by domestic abuse.
Types of domestic violence include physical, sexual, verbal, financial and emotional abuse.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 10 million people in the U.S alone are affected by domestic violence. One in four women and one in nine men fall victim to the mistreatment of a partner, a parent and anyone else who uses manipulative behavior to threaten a life.
The statistics show that domestic abuse is a continuing problem, but society sees otherwise because most cases go unreported. This could be because the survivors of abuse sometimes choose to stay silent for their safety or for the safety of their children.
On average, it takes a person seven times to leave their abuser for multiple reasons such as financial despair, keeping the family together or out of embarrassment.
Effects of domestic abuse can be physical and mental. Common physical effects can involve bruising and broken bones. Mental effects can include PTSD, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and alcohol and drug abuse.
There is no face to who can be an abuser or who can fall victim to domestic abuse. It can be the loud drunk or the pastor at Sunday mass. Abuse will always leave a mark, even if it is physically unseen.
It is important to identify red flags in a relationship before it is too late and another life is lost. For more information about resources and how to identify domestic abuse, contact local resources, such as The Purple Door in Corpus Christi, Texas, at (361) 881-8888 or visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.the hotline.org or call them at 1-800-799-7233.
