Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence acts are perpetrated by people known to us, either familial or romantic relationships.

Sometimes, a victim will say they never had a romantic relationship with the abuser, but the abuser feels otherwise.

Domestic violence can be perpetrated by parents…mothers and fathers, siblings, extended families, and family friends.

INCEST and RAPE are forms of SEXUAL Violence.

Domestic Violence can be…

Mental – people telling you that you are crazy, e.g. gas lighting.

Physical – harms your body, e.g. slapping, punching, pushing, dragging, choking.

Emotional – people telling you that your feelings are wrong or that you are WAY too sensitive.

Financial – people withholding resources you need to survive, or run the home, or feed the kids.

I knew of a woman whose husband made her prove how much each meal cost. She once told me that she can make dinner for .51 cents. I did not ask what she cooked. The abuser then calculates how much she needs to run the home on .51 cents for dinner times 30 dinners times 4 people. You get the idea. She was always scared of prices going up. He was well paid and needed to control her.

I knew of a wealthy family who showered his wife with jewelry, at least to the outside eye, so it seemed. When they got home, she was made to remove the jewelry and was reminded that NOTHING in the home belonged to her. It was his second marriage and everything belonged to the daughter of the first marriage. She also reported that he was abusive physically and emotionally.

If this sounds familiar, please tell a trusted person.

Please begin to create a paper trail by reporting the incident.

Stay safe!

Domestic Violence HOTLINES are:

The National Domestic Violence Hotline 
1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)
www.ndvh.org

National Child Abuse Hotline/Childhelp 
1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)
www.childhelp.org

For Teens:

Love is respect 
Hotline: 1-866-331-9474
www.loveisrespect.org

You can find additional hotlines and resources here:

www.ncadv.org/resources

You can visit RAFTcares for resources on new tools to set and keep boundaries and ways to say a positive NO!

Always on your side,

Indrani