Domestic Violence Awareness
Posted on | October 21, 2009 | No Comments
Stop the Violence
Most people know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. You’ve seen the all the pink products everywhere you went all month, even while watching football.
What you may not know is that October is also Domestic Violence Awareness month. Having been in an abusive relationship myself, domestic violence awareness is an especially important cause to me. I hid the abuse I endured from everyone, even my parents. Now that I’m married to a man in the military, I’ve seen a whole culture of “it’s none of my business,” when it comes to domestic violence. Babette Molina wrote a great article with some informative links over at Type-A mom about the military and spousal abuse.
Earlier this month, my husband went to a briefing about domestic violence. It was a mandatory Army thing. He came home with a bunch of purple wristbands that say, “Love Shouldn’t Hurt.” The Army also does things like this. I’m sure that other branches also did something in the way of educating people about domestic violence and the resources available to them. The problem with all of this is that it rarely reaches the people it’s supposed to help. Since there is still a culture of silence in the military about domestic violence, no one reports it. Violence continues.
I got off on somewhat of a tangent there. It’s something about being married to a soldier and living on a military base that really, deeply bothers me. I was getting my hair cut at the salon on base here one day and overheard a woman telling the stylist not to trim more than a few centimeters (yes, centimeters) of her hair because if her husband could tell it had been cut, he would be mad. I was stunned and furious.
For anyone who found this post by searching for information on domestic violence and the military, About.com has this really informative series on the subject. In the event that someone is actually prosecuted and/or discharged for spousal abuse, the military has fairly good measures in place to protect the abused spouse as well as provide financial assistance. The National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence is also a valuable resource.
Take the Pledge
Another personal favorite site is Violence UnSilenced, a blog project with informative posts about abuse as well as personal stories from bloggers about their experiences with abuse. Most importantly, the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE, is the number you should call if you or someone you know is being abused. You can also visit the CDC Violence Prevent site, which is loaded with information, like “Understanding Teen Dating Abuse,” and information about all kinds of abuse including elder abuse, child abuse, and youth violence.
Though October is coming to a close, take a moment to remember those we’ve lost due to domestic violence and educate yourself. Though you may not have ever encountered domestic violence, you never know when someone you love may need your help. Be aware and know that domestic violence IS everybody’s business.
If all the pink ribbons have you in a shopping mood, check out Love Shouldn’t Hurt a product line from Knock-Out Abuse. A precentage from the proceeds are donated to domestic violence shelters nationwide.
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