Domestic Violence - A Month of Attention
As we enter into October 2009, this is the month where we recognize, teach, acknowledge and pay attention to Domestic Violence. I will begin my month long campaign to bring awareness to this issue in any way that I can. I would like to call domestic violence "family violence" because any thing that happens in the home happens to the family. Domestic Violence is any act of aggression towards a loved one living in your home. For women and men, domestic violence shows up in the face of control, control through money, sex, power, mental, spiritual and physical abuse.
Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States; more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. "Violence Against Women, A Majority Staff Report," Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, 102nd Congress, October 1992, p.3.
One woman is beaten by her husband or partner every 15 seconds in the United States. Uniform Crime Reports, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1991.
About 1 out of 4 women are likely to be abused by a partner in her lifetime. Sara Glazer, "Violence, Against Women" CO Researcher, Congressional Quarterly, Inc., Volume 3, Number 8, February, 1993, p. 171.
Police report that between 40% and 60% of the calls they receive, especially on the night shift, are domestic violence disputes. Carrillo, Roxann "Violence Against Women: An Obstacle to Development," Human Development Report, 1990.
Battering occurs among people of all races, ages, socio-economic classes, religious affiliations, occupations, and educational backgrounds.
Fifty percent of all homeless women and children in this country are fleeing domestic violence. Senator Joseph Biden, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Violence Against Women: Victims of the System, 1991.
A battering incident is rarely an isolated event.
Battering tends to increase and become more violent over time.
Many batterers learned violent behavior growing up in an abusive family.
25% - 45% of all women who are battered are battered during pregnancy.
Domestic violence does not end immediately with separation. Over 70% of the women injured in domestic violence cases are injured after separation.
Domestic violence is not only physical and sexual violence but also psychological. Psychological violence means intense and repetitive degradation, creating isolation, and controlling the actions or behaviors of the spouse through intimidation or manipulation to the detriment of the individual. "Five Year State Master Plan for the Prevention of and Service for Domestic Violence." Utah State Department of Human Services, January 1994.
These are but a few of many statistics that surround the issue of domestic violence. Let me share some of mine. I have worked in the area of domestic violence most of my adult life. A survivor of domestic violence personally, and in my home between my parents. Have seen my friends beaten, beat and even murdered by the hands of their lovers, husbands and wives - relatives, close relatives. Most recently, I worked for Child & Family Services in the District of Columbia where one out of five of the cases that we processed for children in foster care involved domestic violence.
October is the month of awareness and we should take every effort to highlight this issue in our churches, in our pulpits, in our homes and in our communities because we are raising yet another generation of abusers. The days of silence are over and there is no one else who is responsible to teach this - we are! We are the moral compass of this nation. The onus is on each and every one of us to be an ministry of one to teach against violence in the home and today is a good day to start.
If you don't know anything about domestic violence, you owe it to yourself and the people you serve to learn about it, teach about it and find out about the services in your area. This only takes a little research on your part. This is something we cannot afford to ignore. Domestic Violence is real and very common - more common that we would like to admit.
May I admonish you to continue this teaching each and every day. If you are running ministries, open your heart to those who will come and teach your congregation about this issue and be open and sensitive to the people who are with you - someone you know is experiencing domestic violence. We are the answer that the world is seeking through the power of God.
National Domestic Violence Hotline - 1-800-799-7233
http://www.ndvh.org/get-help/
Sincerely,
Pastor Wanda D. Cleckley
Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States; more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. "Violence Against Women, A Majority Staff Report," Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, 102nd Congress, October 1992, p.3.
One woman is beaten by her husband or partner every 15 seconds in the United States. Uniform Crime Reports, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1991.
About 1 out of 4 women are likely to be abused by a partner in her lifetime. Sara Glazer, "Violence, Against Women" CO Researcher, Congressional Quarterly, Inc., Volume 3, Number 8, February, 1993, p. 171.
Police report that between 40% and 60% of the calls they receive, especially on the night shift, are domestic violence disputes. Carrillo, Roxann "Violence Against Women: An Obstacle to Development," Human Development Report, 1990.
Battering occurs among people of all races, ages, socio-economic classes, religious affiliations, occupations, and educational backgrounds.
Fifty percent of all homeless women and children in this country are fleeing domestic violence. Senator Joseph Biden, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Violence Against Women: Victims of the System, 1991.
A battering incident is rarely an isolated event.
Battering tends to increase and become more violent over time.
Many batterers learned violent behavior growing up in an abusive family.
25% - 45% of all women who are battered are battered during pregnancy.
Domestic violence does not end immediately with separation. Over 70% of the women injured in domestic violence cases are injured after separation.
Domestic violence is not only physical and sexual violence but also psychological. Psychological violence means intense and repetitive degradation, creating isolation, and controlling the actions or behaviors of the spouse through intimidation or manipulation to the detriment of the individual. "Five Year State Master Plan for the Prevention of and Service for Domestic Violence." Utah State Department of Human Services, January 1994.
These are but a few of many statistics that surround the issue of domestic violence. Let me share some of mine. I have worked in the area of domestic violence most of my adult life. A survivor of domestic violence personally, and in my home between my parents. Have seen my friends beaten, beat and even murdered by the hands of their lovers, husbands and wives - relatives, close relatives. Most recently, I worked for Child & Family Services in the District of Columbia where one out of five of the cases that we processed for children in foster care involved domestic violence.
October is the month of awareness and we should take every effort to highlight this issue in our churches, in our pulpits, in our homes and in our communities because we are raising yet another generation of abusers. The days of silence are over and there is no one else who is responsible to teach this - we are! We are the moral compass of this nation. The onus is on each and every one of us to be an ministry of one to teach against violence in the home and today is a good day to start.
If you don't know anything about domestic violence, you owe it to yourself and the people you serve to learn about it, teach about it and find out about the services in your area. This only takes a little research on your part. This is something we cannot afford to ignore. Domestic Violence is real and very common - more common that we would like to admit.
May I admonish you to continue this teaching each and every day. If you are running ministries, open your heart to those who will come and teach your congregation about this issue and be open and sensitive to the people who are with you - someone you know is experiencing domestic violence. We are the answer that the world is seeking through the power of God.
National Domestic Violence Hotline - 1-800-799-7233
http://www.ndvh.org/get-help/
Sincerely,
Pastor Wanda D. Cleckley
- Attachments:
-
-
silence.jpg, 4 KB
-
© 2024 Created by Raliegh Jones Jr..
Powered by
