Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- frontpageinitiative
- Oct 26, 2021
- 2 min read
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This month — and every other month — should be a time where survivors and victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) get to be heard and supported by others. According to the World Health Organization (2012), domestic violence is classified as, but not limited to, the physical, psychological, sexual, and/or verbal abuse that a person forces upon another within the domestic sphere. In 1989, October was declared Domestic Violence Awareness month, with the purpose of mourning victims, celebrating survivors, and speaking up for change.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), one in four women, and one in nine men experience intimate partner violence in the United States. During a year, this accounts for nearly ten million victims. In 2020, when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, many were unaware of the silent epidemic of domestic violence, which incidents increased by 8.1% after pandemic-related lockdown orders were made. Due to the confinement that the COVID-19 pandemic imposed on the world, many victims of domestic violence found themselves unable to report the abuse or ask for help.
Due to the ambiguity that revolves around domestic violence, it is difficult to report specifically who is impacted. It’s important to comprehend that domestic violence, at times, does not only impact one person. If domestic violence is common within a family, it is more than likely that more than one person is being affected such as children, parents, etc. More than 10 million children are reported to be witnesses of domestic violence causing them to also partake in the psychological damages (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2019).
Besides its harmful psychological and emotional long-term effects, domestic violence has other negative effects. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, victims of domestic violence lose more than 8.0 million days of paid work. While this the annual cost of IPV (Intimate Partner Violence) starts at $5.8 billion.
Domestic Violence Awareness month is important as it holds those at fault for perpetuating violence onto others, accountable. October is a month for survivors and victims of domestic violence to come forward and have their stories heard. If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach out for help by texting “START” to 88788 or call 1.800.799.SAFE(7233).
Resources:
Published October 1, 2021
Written by Leslie Nevarez ~ Edited by Anjali Pathmanathan ~ Graphics created by Fiona Xu
Comentários