Today on Day 119 of my 365 day personal writing challenge, I want to share a few thoughts about a subject that needs more and more attention from everyone, everywhere – Domestic Violence. I’m hopeful you will read and consider sharing.
Domestic violence exists in:
- All socioeconomic levels
- All Faiths
- All cultures
- All societies
- More families than we care to acknowledge.
Did You Know That . . .
- Every 9 seconds in the US a woman is assaulted or beaten.
- Around the world, at least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Most often, the abuser is a member of her own family.
- Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women—more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.
- Studies suggest that up to 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually.
- Nearly 1 in 5 teenage girls who have been in a relationship said a boyfriend threatened violence or self-harm if presented with a breakup.
- Everyday in the US, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends.
- Ninety-two percent of women surveyed listed reducing domestic violence and sexual assault as their top concern.
- Domestic violence victims lose nearly 8 million days of paid work per year in the US alone—the equivalent of 32,000 full-time jobs.
- Based on reports from 10 countries, between 55 percent and 95 percent of women who had been physically abused by their partners had never contacted non-governmental organizations, shelters, or the police for help.
- The costs of intimate partner violence in the US alone exceed $5.8 billion per year: $4.1 billion are for direct medical and health care services, while productivity losses account for nearly $1.8 billion.
- Men who as children witnessed their parents’ domestic violence were twice as likely to abuse their own wives than sons of nonviolent parents.
Statistics taken from Domestic Violence Statistics
Domestic violence adversely affects:
- Individual
- Families
- Schools
- Colleges
- Communities
- Businesses
- Corporations
- Governmental bodies.
Domestic violence consistently eats away at the fabric of who we are as people,exposing our spiritual core to ghastly intrusions with devastating outcomes!
Domestic violence can be stopped if we will:
- Take Courage
- Stand Up
- Speak Out
- Demand Change
- Facilitate Healing
- Take Nothing Less!
May we become Bold in our Resolve and Action!
Peace!
Mark E. Hundley
