You Are Not Alone: Fighting Against Domestic Violence

“My husband loves me even though he beats me.”

“My wife insults me all the time and puts down my manhood.”

“He loves me that's why I can't leave him.”

“He won't do it again, he promised. He will change.”

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in four women will be a victim of domestic violence. According to the American Bar Association, 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the United States. Intimate partner violence made up 20% of all nonfatal violent crimes experienced by women in 2001. Less than half of all domestic violence incidents are reported to the police. African-American women are much less likely to tell anyone about their abuse.

What is physical abuse? Physical abuse is when an intimate partner has…

• Pushed or shoved you
• Held you to keep you from leaving
• Slapped or bitten you
• Kicked or choked you
• Hit or punched you
• Thrown objects at you
• Locked you out of the house
• Abandoned you in dangerous places
• Refused to help you when you were sick, injured or pregnant
• Forced you off the road or driven recklessly
• Threatened to hurt you with a weapon

It is important that women realize that they do not have to live in fear. Below are some of the resources available to victims of violence.

• US: National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE).
• UK: Women’s Aid at 0808 2000 247.
• Canada: National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-363-9010
• Australia: National Domestic Violence Hotline 1800 200 526

For more information about domestic violence and resources please visit http://www.dahmw.org.

 

Source: www.americanbar.org, www.ncadv.org

Photo Credit: oabi.wordpress.com