Speak Out
Domestic violence is everyone’s issue. Whether it happens in your home or not. It affects relationships, livelihood and physical safety. And lest we confuse domestic violence only as a by-product of inner city life, or criminally inclined communities or families,
“Approximately one third of the men counseled for battering are professional men who are well respected in their jobs and in their communities. These have included doctors, physiologists, lawyers, ministers and business executives.” David Adams, “Identifying the Assaultive Husband in Court: You Be the Judge.” Boston Bar Journal, July/August, 1989.
and it still holds true today.
“Female murder victims are substantially more likely than male murder victims to have been killed by an intimate.
In recent years - From US Department of Justice-Office of Justice Programs:
- About one third of female murder victims were killed by an intimate.
- Of all female murder victims, the proportion killed by an intimate declined slightly until 1995 when the proportion began increasing, although it has stabilized recently.
A third of all women’s injuries coming into our emergency rooms are no accident. Most are the result of deliberate, premeditated acts of violence. And frequently they occur over and over until the woman is killed. (Dr. Kevin Fullin, American Medical Association, public service ad, Time magazine) — source:http://www.silentwitness.net/sub/violences.htm
Aren’t you just happy to be single and still alive?!
According to endabuse.org, on average, more than three women are being murdered every day by their husbands or boyfriends. It gets more interesting when you learn that statistics around the world indicate that at least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime.
In 2001, more than half a million women are reported to have been abused by a spouse or boyfriend. That’s only the reported fact, I’m sure for every reported domestic abuse, there are two more that have gone unreported. When you think about it, more than a half a million is a small number for a country of more than 200 million inhabitants. But we are talking about our moms, sisters, cousins, uncles, aunts, brothers, fathers … pillars of the family … the machine that fuels this economy.
The Colorado Domestic Violence Coalition’s estimate alone places medical expenses arising from domestic violence to total more than $3 billion and businesses are losing $100 million to lost wages, sick leaves, absenteeism, low or non-productivity of employees who are victims of domestic violence.
There are so many things that need to be repaired in this society, but this one should be on the top list of everyone’s mind. Why? Because we can actually do something about it. 30% of Americans can say they know of someone who’ve been physically abused.
Though this culture calls for non-interference [except by the government], you can always lend an understanding ear. Sometimes, a woman just needs someone to listen to them so they’d be able to work it out and make their own decisions. And sometimes, we have to speak out and prevent further abuse, whether by reporting it to the authorities or by providing self-esteem to a friend who believes she’s a worthless piece of s***t so she’d find the courage and the means to get out. Sometimes there are very difficult cases as to seem hopeless.
Then we speak out and try to inform others for those that can still recover from this mindless, heartless violence.
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