Did you know that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in the US have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner? In Ohio alone, 38% of women and 33% of men experience intimate partner violence, rape and or stalking.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Melissa Betsch is the domestic violence therapist at Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services and she has some information to help you if you know someone who is in a dangerous relationship.
You can watch the entire video below:
Domestic violence is a very serious topic that touches all of our lives in one way or another, be it personally or systemically. More likely than not, you know someone who's experienced domestic violence.
We want to take a moment to define what domestic violence is, explore the different types of abuse, identify barriers some may face when leaving, understand how to support someone going through domestic violence and share where you can get help.
Domestic violence, also called domestic abuse or intimate partner violence, is a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain and maintain power and control over an intimate partner.
To do this they may use physical abuse tactics such as physical violence, sexual violence, and stalking; or they may use nonphysical or mental abuse tactics such as emotional abuse, isolation, intimidation, minimizing and blame, using children, using male privilege, using economic abuse, and using coercion and threats.
Common barriers to a survivor leaving their abuser include limited housing, loss of financial stability, fear of losing their children, lack of social support, and fear of death. Women are 70x more likely to be killed during the first two weeks after leaving a domestic violence relationship.
It takes the survivor, on average, seven times to successfully leave their domestic violence relationship.
So how do we support someone in a domestic violence relationship? Listen to them without judgment, believe them, and let them know they are not alone, know your community resources so you can offer a safe and supportive direction, express your concern and provide reassurance, and if possible, go over the survivor’s safety plan and determine where you can be the most effective.
At #GCBHS, we strive to provide trauma-informed, safe, and supportive care to help our clients navigate the turbulent waters of domestic violence. Thank you for being an ally.
Click here for a full list of resources where you can go to get more guidance or help.
