DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Domestic Violence includes physical violence, as well as verbal, psychological, economic, and sexual abuse. A major component of domestic violence includes controlling behavior, which results in a perpetrator and a victim rather than two consenting adults. Controlling behavior can be imposed through various forms of intimidation: physical violence; intimidating gestures; threats to harm the victim, the children, or family pets; control over finances; and isolating the victim from family, friends, and other means of support.
Helping a loved one caught in this situation and treatment of domestic violence victims involves two levels of intervention:
- “Red Flag” Danger Situations: Act Immediately, Encourage, support, and provide resources to help victims and children escape to a safe environment. SAFETY IS #1 !!!
- Ongoing Violent/Abusive Relationships: Before telling the victim to leave (they have already thought of that), find out their reasons for staying in the relationship.
It is crucial to fully understand and validate their reasons for maintaining the relationship (validating a person does not mean that you agree with them). Due to the isolation of the victim and dependence on the perpetrator, it is very meaningful to feel that they are not alone. They need to have the experience that someone “gets it” - that someone understands the love they have for their partner, the emotional and financial dependence they feel, the need to keep the family together, as well as the hopes they have that their partner will change and revert back to the “wonderful” person they used to be in the early stages of the relationship. Only when that trust is gained, can the victim not feel so alone and then be more open to ideas about leaving the relationship.
Provide HOPE to victims of domestic violence because there is HOPE for a better life, a life without abuse or violence!
