10/29/2024
***TRIGGER WARNING POST***
Good afternoon and happy Tuesday. I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. There are a lot of sicknesses spreading around! Halloween is also only 2 days away, and we all know how important it is to keep our kids and ourselves safe while walking through neighborhoods and going trick-or-treating.
I hope you also know how important it is to keep yourself and those around you safe in domestic abuse situations. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
According to https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/what-is-domestic-abuse/ , domestic abuse can include, but is not limited to, the following: Coercive control (a pattern of intimidation, degradation, isolation and control with the use or threat of physical or sexual violence), psychological, and/or emotional abuse. Physical or sexual abuse.
Unfortunately, an average of 24 people per minute are victims of r**e, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States — that's more than 12 million women and men over the course of a single year. More than half (51.1%) of female victims of r**e reported being r**ed by an intimate partner; 40.8% reported being r**ed by an acquaintance. For male victims, 52.4% reported being r**ed by an acquaintance; 15.1% reported being r**ed by a stranger. Estimates suggest 13% of women and 6% of men will experience sexual coercion (unwanted sexual pe*******on after being pressured in a non-physical way) in their lifetime; 27.2% of women and 11.7% of men experience unwanted sexual contact. (All statistics given here come directly from https://www.thehotline.org/stakeholders/domestic-violence-statistics/ They also have many more statistics listed, and references given.)
According to https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Helping-Children-Exposed-to-Domestic-Violence-109.aspx , between three and ten million children and adolescents witness domestic violence between their parents or caregivers each year.
These numbers are so unsettling and heartbreaking. It is important to know why people abuse others and the warning signs of abuse. The goal of abuse stems from a desire to gain and maintain control over another, and abusers feel like they deserve to be able to control others' lives. Sometimes people learn the abusive behaviors from their parents/caregivers when growing up, sometimes they get pressured or bullied by their peers or others around them. They learn the behaviors and begin acting in the same or similar ways. There are many warning signs of abusive behavior, but they don't always show up immediately, especially in new relationships. Abusers often initially appear as the ideal partner, but eventually begin expressing extreme jealousy, telling their partner that nothing they do is right, putting their partner down in a variety of ways, closing off their partners from their families or safe relationships, pressuring their partners to do things that they are not okay with, and so much more. Again, see www.thehotline.org for more warning signs.
Children are often affected by domestic abuse by watching their parents' or caregivers' relationships. Www.aacap.org gives a list of symptoms to watch for in children and adolescents that have been affected. These symptoms include, but are not limited to anxiety, increased fear, depression, sleep problems, fighting, changes in appetite, drug/alcohol abuse, skipping school, rebellious behaviors, social withdrawal, and many more. See their website for a more comprehensive list.
Whether you or someone you know is dealing with, has dealt with, or you feel like you may be entering into a relationship that could become domestic abuse, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE seek help. There is a domestic abuse hotline - 1800-799-7233, or you can text BEGIN to 88788. We are also here to help. Please reach out to us at 501-286-6118. Everyone deserves to have a healthy and happy relationship. No matter what. Please stay safe. You matter. Always. ❤️ - Meagan
