Reflections on Domestic Violence Awareness Month

This afternoon as I drove home from school I couldn't help but be pulled into the beauty of October: burnt orange and purple foliage, the smell of grapes whisking about in the crisp autumn breeze. I parked my Toyota Yaris in the driveway, fed my two large and lovable dogs lunch, and grabbed hold of my bike for a relaxing ride around town.

I headed south up my home street, observing my surroundings. Nicole and Mark were out on a walk with their two Scottish Terriers, John pushed his two children on twin swings, and Walter was teaching his daughter, Amie, how to throw a softball.

What perfect lives they must live, we think. What a perfect household they must live in with a gorgeous mother and a protective, fearless father.

October is a month that heralds a reflection in on oneself--a reminder that snow and ice are right around the corner and that introspection is a tool to utilize and benefit from during long winter months, helping us emerge in the spring with more self-awareness. October is also Domestic Abuse Awareness Month. I took in the sight of these seemingly perfect families I was reminded how hundreds of children around the world look up at the stars on clear, October nights wishing upon the brightest star that their daddies would soon stop hitting them.

Domestic abuse is a national epidemic cloaked in silence for many complicated reasons: shame, fear of punishment, fear of blame. Though hiding the issue may seem to make it go away for a moment, silence only allows this problem to grow.

One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). 1.3 million women are physically assaulted by an intimate partner each year; 73% of violence victims are female. There are 16,800 homicides and 2.2 million (reported) injuries due to intimate partner violence annually, which costs $37 billion in government spending.  Keep in mind, rape and domestic abuse are the two most under-reported crimes in America.

Domestic abuse isn't limited to women: one out of 14 men has been physically assaulted by a cohabiting partner or spouse during their lifetime, with an estimated 835,000 men physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually.

Let’s break the silence on this national epidemic of domestic violence; let’s call for prevention, promote safety of all people, demand offender sentences that fit the crime and offer rehabilitation when appropriate.

both www.thewomenscenterinc.org

How do you feel about Domestic Violence? Should men be aware just as much? Should men be more cautious when handling their girlfriends? What, in your opinion, counts as domestic violence?