The Importance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month
posted by Daysia Wood | October 11, 2022 | In NewsOn October 20, there will be national recognition called Purple Thursday. Domestic violence survivors and their advocates can raise awareness by wearing purple in solidarity, and to raise awareness about domestic violence.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month—a time to raise awareness about the dangers of domestic violence and the multitude of situations in which someone could experience violence in a domestic relationship.
The National Institutes of Health calls domestic violence a “social and public health crisis, crossing lines of class, race, ethnicity and sexuality.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, cases of domestic violence were at an all-time high since 2010. Victims were unable to separate themselves from their abusers or they weren’t aware they were even living with one. Identifying abuse can be difficult, especially if someone has endured abuse for any period or is unaware of how they are being abused.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have experienced physical violence by their partner at some point during the relationship. It is not only partnerships where someone may experience abuse: it can be with family members, friends, mentors, or anyone with whom an intimate relationship is shared. The most common types of abuse are either sexual or physical but there are unseen types of abuse that can be just as harmful.
Mental, verbal, and emotional abuse can have a lasting impact on someone’s life. This can come in the form of name-calling, threatening others with harm, intimidation, withholding funds, or even stealing from one’s partner. Perpetrators showcase traits of possessive, jealous, suspicious, and paranoid over their victim’s actions. They can seem controlling, even if it is portrayed as love. Most times, the victim is blamed for abuse committed against them.
Domestic violence is never okay and there are people that are willing to help. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7, in English, Spanish, and 200+ languages available through interpretation service. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-7233, and for SMS Messaging, text START to 88788.
The public is encouraged to spread the news about Domestic Violence Awareness Month through social media using hashtags: #dvam, #DVAM22, and #domesticviolenceawarenessmonth.
Photo courtesy of Jelia Hepner-Coleman (A Say Her Name vigil in 2016 for domestic violence awareness)
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