October marks the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic Violence refers to a “pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over [the other person].”

This topic is especially serious for me as I know how it feels to lose family members due to a domestic violence situation because they were too scared to leave their abuser. It is important to be mindful of when you are in a toxic relationship, especially when you are being abused, and have the courage to get yourself out of the situation before you become the next statistic.

Some common signs of domestic violence to look out for are the abuser(s) telling you that you can never do anything right, them preventing you from spending time with others, such as family and friends, them forcing you to do things that you are not comfortable doing, or even sometimes threatening to harm you if you do not follow what they tell you to do. It is important to look for these signs in your relationships, even if it may be hard to accept. 

The statistics of domestic violence are even more upsetting as it was found that every minute in the United States, 20 people are abused by a partner. Specifically, women are more susceptible to abuse as 1 in 4 women have experienced some domestic abuse by a partner. On the other hand, 1 in 9 men experience some domestic abuse from a partner. Both men and women can be victims of domestic violence, with women being at a heightened risk. The highest demographic affected by domestic abuse from their partner is women ages 18-24. This shows that it is crucial for high schoolers and college students to know the signs of domestic violence as they are the group at the highest risk. 

Domestic Violence is very commonly hidden from the public eye. Up to 70% of domestic abuse goes unreported. Sadly, this causes these toxic situations to continue to get worse overtime, commonly leading to violence. In extreme cases, victims are even killed by their abusers. Even further, many of these are murder-suicides in which 94% of the victims in murder-suicides are women. 

Many victims are usually too scared to stand up for themselves due to the fear that their abuser will hurt them. Also, many victims do not know who to reach out to for help and usually suffer in silence. However, there are several resources out there, both online and locally, that try their hardest to ensure that the victim will find their way to safety and leave their abuser.

Below are several resources for domestic violence victims. 

• • Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233
  • Text START to 88788
  • Hope Harbor Home-Brunswick Co – 24-Hour Crisis Hotline 910-754-5856
  • Domestic Violence Shelter & Services, Inc – 2901 Market St Wilmington, NC 28403 – 910-343-0703
  • Coastal Horizons Center – Brunswick Co 120 Coastal Horizons Drive Shallotte, NC 28470 – (910) 754-7949

• Coastal Horizons Center – New Hanover Co 615 Shipyard Blvd Wilmington, NC 28412 – 800-672-2903

Resources:

https://ncadv.org/STATISTICS

https://www.brunswickcc.edu/web/wpc/uploads/2013/03/Resources-for-Students-Employees.pdf?x69768

https://www.thehotline.org/identify-abuse/domestic-abuse-warning-signs/

https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus/what-is-domestic-abuse
https://blog.gitnux.com/unreported-domestic-violence-statistics/#:~:text=FAQs-,What%20percentage%20of%20domestic%20violence%20cases%20goes%20unreported%3F,vary%20by%20country%20and%20region.