|
Domestic Violence
DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE IS NOT LOVE!
Any healthy relationship has arguments. How else can two people
in love settle their differences? Being angry is a part of human
nature. But what happens when the argument gets out of hand? Maybe
your spouse makes a threat to you, or throws or breaks something.
Sure, they were mad, it got out of control, it won't happen again.
Or will it? What happens when the wall your spouse punches doesn't
calm him/her down anymore and they decide instead they'd rather
hit you?
Domestic
violence is more common than you may think. More than one quarter
of the violent crimes in the U.S. are domestic violence, mainly
a man assaulting his wife/girlfriend. In over 95% of domestic violence
assaults, the man is the perpetrator. In fact, 9 out of 10 murdered
women are murdered by men. 4 out of 5 are murdered at home.
Still,
there are cases where the man is the victim. In one study, it noted
that for every 12-13 man to woman assaults, there was one assault
on a man by his spouse. Even fewer are the statistics for homosexuals.
Domestic violence is also an issue in gay and lesbian relationships,
though they are usually reported as "mutual conflicts"
because the two parties are of the same sex.
Getting
Out Of An Abusive Relationship
Ask
any domestic violence victim why they stay with their partner; they
will tell you its because they love him/her or because they are
afraid to leave. Most people that are abuse victims had low self-esteem
before meeting their partner. At first their partner was charming
and made them feel loved. The victim is blinded by love and can't
see the warning signs that are so obvious to others around them.
They might even like the fact that their new spouse gets jealous
easy or tries to control them; they mistake these actions for love.
After
the relationship gets more serious and the abuse starts becoming
more frequent, you might think you are the problem. "He/she
was so wonderful at first, he/she is just really mad and hurt right
now" is a common misunderstanding of abused people. But you
are failing to realize the sweet person you met was an act, and
the violent ways your mate acts now will only get worse.
Real
love doesn't hurt!
Real
love doesn't leave bruises, and it doesn't cause fear. It is expressed
through words, not slaps. With real love, hands are for holding
and loving, not for hitting and rape. If you are in an abusive relationship,
you have to realize there is a way out. Everyone deserves to be
loved and respected and that includes you! Do not allow someone
to disrespect you or your body. Get help before it is too late.
|
