Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is a month that people acknowledge Brest Cancer Awareness as well as Domestic Violence Awareness.  


WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?

Well According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence or the (NCADV), domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats, and emotional abuse. The frequency and severity of domestic violence can vary dramatically.

The NCADV reports that DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN LOUISIANA • 33.4% of Louisiana women1 and 28.4% of Louisiana men2 experience intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner sexual violence and/or intimate partner stalking in their lifetimes. • In 2010, Louisiana ranked 4th in the nation for femicide; 2/3 of these murders were committed using guns.3 • 81% of female homicides in Louisiana are committed by a partner or ex-partner.4 • There has been at least one domestic homicide in every parish in Louisiana.5 • As of December 31, 2016, Louisiana had submitted 19,829 domestic violence misdemeanor and 1,209 protective order records to the NICS.

Did you know? 

In the United States, more than 10 million adults experience domestic violence annually. 1 • If each of these adults experienced only once incidence of violence, an adult in the US would experience violence every three seconds. However, because domestic violence is a pattern, many experience repeated acts of abuse annually, so an incident of abuse happens far more frequently than every three seconds

From 2016 through 2018 the number of intimate partner violence victimizations in the United States increased 42%.7 • On a typical day, domestic violence hotlines nationwide receive over 19,000 calls, (NCADV, 2020). 


So you may ask yourself…so why does a person in a relationship that involves domestic violence stay?

The reasons vary, however some common reasons are:

  • The fear that the abuser's actions will become more violent and may become lethal if the victim attempts to leave.
  • Unsupportive friends and family
  • Knowledge of the difficulties of single parenting and reduced financial circumstances
  • The victim feeling that the relationship is a mix of good times, love and hope along with the manipulation, intimidation and fear.
  • The victim's lack of knowledge of or access to safety and support
  • Fear of losing custody of any children if they leave or divorce their abuser or fear the abuser will hurt, or even kill, their children
  • Lack of means to support themselves and/or their children financially or lack of access to cash, bank accounts, or assets
  • Lack of having somewhere to go (e.g. no friends or family to help, no money for hotel, shelter programs are full or limited by length of stay)
  • Fear that homelessness may be their only option if they leave
  • Religious or cultural beliefs and practices may not support divorce or may dictate outdated gender roles and keep the victim trapped in the relationship
  • Belief that two parent households are better for children, despite abuse

        (NCADV, 2020).

In the end, domestic violence is unacceptable.  We as practitioners need to do a better job of screening and offering resources.  If you or someone you know may be experiencing domestic violence, please reach out or contact  For anonymous, confidential help available 24/7, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY) now.

For more information about Behavioral Health & Wellness, please email behavior.healthandwellness@gmail.com.  

                                                                    Dr. Jay                                                                                                                        Doctor of Behavioral Health


References: National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). (2020).https://ncadv.org/.  





 

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