“At any given moment you have the power to say this is not how the story is going to end.” – Christine Mason Miller (Cordova)
Opening
How often do you hear news about domestic violence cases? Have you ever encountered that your loved ones or acquaintances have suffered from this problem? The problem of domestic violence is a topic that often remains overlooked and silenced due to the high degree of inconsistency in the attitude of society toward it. The main issue is the fact that there are quite a large number of people who see the victims as the cause of this event. We are faced with the task of limiting the problem of domestic violence by minimizing stigma and spreading awareness about this issue.
Statistics
What do we know about domestic violence? Despite the large amount of current information from various scientific and media sources, this topic remains little discussed in society. Statistics show “nearly 3 in 10 women (29%) and 1 in 10 men (10%) in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner and reported it having a related impact on their functioning” (Domestic Violence Statistics). Thus, it is emphasized that a reasonably large number of individuals face this problem.
At the same time, it is essential to understand that official data may not always clearly represent the actual scope of the problem. Annual statistics show that in the United States of America alone, 24 people, including men and women, suffer from domestic violence every minute (Domestic Violence Statistics). This may mean that at the moment, someone in the country may be exposed to any of the manifestations of this threat to physical and mental harm—frightening data.
Types of Violence
It is also worth paying attention to the fact that domestic violence has a wide variety of manifestations, many of which can be neglected as a simple manifestation of dissatisfaction or a negative attitude. This phenomenon is often defined as “a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner” (What Is Domestic Abuse?). This broad definition implies a relatively large manifestation of various forms of physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological abuse. The peculiarity of the problem of domestic violence is that even threats of this kind of action that influence another person may relate to this phenomenon.
Risk Groups
It is crucial for us as a society to understand that domestic violence is an issue that can affect anyone. This aspect involves not only men or women; it may involve children or a close family member. Characteristics such as age, race, sexual orientation, faith, or class do not determine whether a person may encounter this event. That is why we are faced with the task of drawing more and more attention and spreading awareness about urgent measures to limit the problem under discussion.
The Importance of the Advocacy Topic
The issue of domestic violence as an advocacy has a high degree of importance for me. This is because, throughout my life, I have had the experience of communicating with people who have come across it. The most frightening and incomprehensible to me was the fact that the vast majority of the victims of this incident ultimately refused to seek help from specialized agencies. Therefore, this issue matters to me because I believe that the lack of conversations and initiatives in modern society regarding domestic violence affects the silencing of its victims and the impunity of those who are its offenders.
Conclusion
I am sure that each of us has at least once in our lives found ourselves in a situation where someone we know has experienced domestic violence. It is quite possible that someone became a victim of this terrible experience, which I am very sorry for, and I want to emphasize that there is help and hope. If each of us decides to contribute to the dissemination of information and awareness about the issue under discussion, we can gradually achieve a profound change in society. Limiting the problem of domestic violence should be on par with problems such as crime since it is a violation of human rights and freedoms.
I chose Christine Mason Miller’s opening phrase for a reason. It shows that for victims of domestic violence, there is hope and faith that a change in the situation is possible and that you and I are becoming one of the primary agents of this change. This issue has a high degree of danger, as it can affect anyone regardless of any factors. In the absence of actions to spread awareness and mitigate stigma regarding this topic, offenders of these actions may experience a sense of impunity, which is especially concerning. Therefore, I urge you to turn your efforts to help those who find themselves in this terrible situation and take joint measures to solve the problem of domestic violence in our modern society.
Works Cited
Cordova, Max. “158 Domestic Violence Quotes for Support and Strength.” Everyday Power. 2023. Web.
“Domestic Violence Statistics.” National Domestic Violence Hotline, no date. Web.