Domestic Violence Awareness Month
By: Brianna MacLean

“Trauma creates change you don’t choose. Healing is about creating change you do choose.”
Michelle Rosenthall

It doesn’t matter.

When it comes to domestic violence, there is no one-size-fits-all model. Whether physical, emotional/psychological, sexual, financial, or cyber, it is estimated that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will experience abuse in their lifetimes. At the same time, women make up a large percentage of victims; abuse has become a global epidemic that defies gender, age, race, economic position, and even sexual orientation.

Some potential signs of abuse can include the following:

• An overly jealous partner, especially when others are around.
• Intentionally breaking or threatening to destroy their partner’s things.
• Calling names, belittling, threatening, or yelling at their partner.
• Constantly blames their partner when things go wrong.
• Physically assaulting their partner (pushing, punching, hitting, slapping, etc.).
• Threatening to harm their partner’s loved ones.
• Threatening self-harm or suicide. Source

To successfully combat domestic violence, we cannot treat it as anything other than the worldwide crisis it is; To do anything less would be the ultimate disservice to the men and women experiencing abuse every single day.

Enough is enough.

Take a stand, raise your voice, and never stop fighting.