How Can We Help Domestic Violence Victims

                 Family violence: effects on parents & kids | Raising Children Network

Introduction

Domestic Violence is a serious issue that takes place all over the world. It affects its victims, whether old or young, for the rest of their lives. At first, they may think that they have everything under control and that they are fine but it never ends that way. Domestic violence is a serious issue that will impact the victims for the rest of their lives.

 Studies are trying to find ways to help prevent lifelong effects of domestic violence but nothing has seemingly been able to work. We need new ideas and research on how we can prevent this trauma from taking over their life. These victims do not deserve to live with the effects of this abuse for the rest of their life. It is important that we all learn about the dangers of domestic abuse and why it is so hard for them to get help.

Why Don't They Just Leave 

Many people may say "Why don't they just leave them then? Or, why don't they tell someone and try to get help?" Which while they have a fair point, goes deeper than that. Many times their life is in more risk if they leave or ask for help. Many times when the victims try to get help the predator may hurt them even worse or in many cases even kill them.

According to the L.A Times, Laura Newberry states "It's estimated that more than 10 million people experience domestic violence in the U.S. each year, and the number of homicides related to domestic violence has been on the rise since 2010. In L.A. County, as overall homicides have declined, the number of women slain has steadily risen". Women are trying to stand up for themselves every day when it comes to domestic violence, but sometimes help comes too late.

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My Experience with Domestic Violence Victims

One day over the winter I met a woman and her son outside of the UPS store. The mom had her head in her hands and was crying her eyes out, while her son ran around like this wasn't the first time this has happened. She ended up opening up to me and explaining how she and her son were victims of domestic abuse. Her story about her travels and trying to escape her predator has been living in my head since I heard it. She tries so hard to find new ways to build back up her life but it seemed to fail every time.  The abuse has finally stopped but the trauma that she experienced will live with her son and her forever.

What Can We Do To Help?

Trauma affects everyone's life but many people can work on helping to overcome their past. With domestic violence, it is very hard for the victims to be able to move on and try to get their life back to a sense of normality. When these people get abused by a member of their own family it caused not only physical damage but also emotional damage too. 

In the peer-reviewed article, Emotional Intelligence: Challenging the Perceptions and Efficacy of 'Soft Skills' in Policing Incidents of Domestic Abuse Involving Children, Annemarie Millar goes on about how children are being left out when the police are finally involved. The research states "A number of studies and inquiries have raised concerns about the emotional disconnect between professionals responding to incidents of abuse and DA and the children involved. Fears have been expressed that children are often being ignored or becoming 'invisible' to professional attention, with one of the key learning points emerging from a review of practice that professionals such as the police need to see and speak to children" (Millar July 2019).

We need to seek help for these individuals as soon as possible, and not just a few victims but all of them. That is the first step that needs to be taken and support systems can move on from there. These victims deserve help and guidance from the people around them and they need our help to try and get their hope and trust back.

The lady that I ran into that day was doing everything she could to get her life back together. Although she was at the weakest point in her life, she was the strongest person I have ever met. She didn't know what the future held for her, or if she and her son were safe, but she did everything she could to try and make it ok for him. They do not deserve to live in fear but they continue to do so every day, which needs to change.

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