This means that there is a good chance that a woman you know, a woman who may sit next to you in church, synagogue, or place of worship, has or will be a victim of abuse. Domestic abuse and battery between partners is a serious offense that must be stopped. In an effort to raise awareness of the horrors of domestic abuse, Congress has designated October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The first step in stopping abuse is to name it. Presidential Task Force reports that 4 million women in America experience at least one serious assault by an intimate partner during an average 12-month period.
Domestic violence takes on many forms.
It is the desperate abuse of power and control used against a family member or partner. It can be physical, verbal, psychological, sexual, or emotional in nature. It can include physical assaults, threats, yelling, criticism, intimidation, harassment, isolation, pressure tactics, sexual assault, violence towards pets, or destruction of property. It is a common myth that this violence only happens to people from a certain economic group, educational level, race, or ethnic group. Many want to believe that it couldn't happen to people from their neighborhood, church, or synagogue.