With every passing minute, an average of 24 people are victims of sexual assault, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States, amounting to over 12 million people annually, according to the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Despite 1 in 4 adolescents experiencing domestic violence, only 33 percent of victims report their stories.
October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), an ever-crucial time to collectively shed light upon this pervasive issue that impacts millions of individuals, especially women and youth.
Since its inception in 1981 as a “Day of Unity” by the National Coalition Against Violence, DVAM has evolved into a month-long national campaign celebrating survivors and advocating for change. Through awareness and action campaigns, supporters empower themselves and others to recognize and combat domestic violence in all of its many forms.
Domestic Violence, its Roots, and its Branches Defined
Domestic violence is a pattern of abuse exerted by one person over another, with the dominant purpose of maintaining power, coercion, and control. With the power to be fatal, domestic violence does not discriminate based on age, race, sexual orientation, income, education, gender, or ability.
Any individual in any community can suffer from or perpetrate domestic violence. At its heart, abuse is about an imbalance of power and control.
Contrary to common belief, domestic violence is not exclusive to the physical; it can encompass verbal, emotional, economic, digital (technology), and sexual abuse, as well as stalking and harassment. Here is a general breakdown of these specific examples:
- Verbal abuse can include constant criticism, accusations, name-calling, and victim-blaming (i.e. any response that places blame for abuse upon the victim rather than the perpetrator). Read more about verbal abuse here.
- Emotional abuse can manifest as manipulation, humiliation, or any attempt to control, isolate, or otherwise cause fear or derogate. Read more about emotional abuse here.
- Economic abuse similarly involves controlling access to finances and financial autonomy. This form of abuse may involve Person A controlling Person B’s ability to acquire, maintain, or use financial resources, leveraging this to threaten and exert dominance. Read more about economic abuse here.
- Digital abuse can include any usage of technology or the Internet to harass, threaten, defame, bully, control, or intimidate. In this age of artificial intelligence, digital abuse may also look like the unwanted creation and dissemination of deepfake pornography. Read more about digital abuse here.
- Sexual abuse occurs when someone violates your boundaries, forcing you into unwanted sexual activity without your consent. Read more about sexual abuse here.
Domestic violence never looks like a single thing; there are various ways, sometimes obscured, in which it can manifest. Such obscurity can hinder victims from characterizing their experiences as abusive and may invoke feelings of shame, helplessness, and isolation.
The societal stigma that looms over survivors may render it difficult for them to seek help, and this struggle can be exacerbated by the challenges of leaving the abusive relationship. Survivors may be financially/legally dependent upon their abuser as well, thereby compounding the struggle to leave.
Exiting an abusive relationship is the most vulnerable, dangerous time for a survivor. Recall that abuse is fundamentally about power and control. Thus, by leaving an abusive relationship, a survivor is, in essence, reclaiming control and threatening the abusive individual’s power. This exit may lead the abusive individual to retaliate in an effort to reassert their dominance.
Moving Forward
Domestic violence awareness should not—merely begin and end with the 31 days of October.
Quick Resources
Services for Victims and Survivors:
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: +1 (800) 799-7233
- KAN-WIN’s 24-Hour Multilingual Hotline: (773) 583-0880
- Between Friends Chicago’s 24-Hour Helpline: +1 (800) 603-4357
- Family Rescue 24-Hour Crisis Line: (800) 360-6619
- City of Chicago Domestic Violence Hotline: (877) 863-6338
- House of the Good Shepherd
- A Safe Place’s 24-Hour Hotline: 1-800-600-7233
How to Support Survivors of Domestic Violence:
