Tips to STOP Domestic/Dating Violence!

             

   Learn as much as you can about domestic violence.  Separate the myths from the facts.

 Provide unconditional support to a victim without judgment or further abusive behaviors.

Don’t turn your back on, demean, question, or demand things from a victim.  Show your love in positive and caring ways.

 Work with the victim to create a safety plan for when THEY are ready to end their relationship.

  Provide a victim with resources.  The tab above offers various solutions for national, international and age appropriate options.

 NEVER BLAME THE VICTIM.  We can all be on the negative end of abuse and blame causes lower self-esteem, loss of support and hopelessness.  Empowerment, knowledge and love are critical in stopping the spread of domestic violence.

  If you see something, SAY SOMETHING!  Get the police involved and NEVER get physically involved with the abuser.  Often times this increases the violence against the victim.

  Educate others about domestic violence; women, men, teens, children.  Use various means and locations to reach others; churches, community centers, organizations, schools, etc.

Battered Men: The Silence, the Stigma, the Suffering...

"Domestic violence is not a gender issue, it is a human issue"

~Anonymous

A man who is being abused by a women or another man is often called:"Browbeat", "Whipped", "Punk", "Pussy", "Chump", "Weak", "Bitch"  Call it what you want; I call it "ABUSED".  Before you read any further, I want you to open your mind to this post.  According to the US Justice Department and the Centers for Prevention & Disease Control, over 1/3 of all batterers involved in domestic violence were wives or girlfriends.  Abuse against men is very real and if you don't believe that it can happen, click the link to watch a short video about a man who endured 25 years of abuse from his wife:

 Jerry Miranda Story

When I decided to write about this topic tonight, I knew there would be people who couldn't understand how a man could be a victim.  In presentations I explain it like this...

Why Do They Stay? Understanding the Mind Of The Victim...

In researching tonight’s topic, I watched quite a few YouTube videos on why women stay in abusive relationships.  I have many issues with this because #1, women are NOT the only victims of domestic violence.  (Tomorrow will be dedicated to the battered men!)  Second, it is never the fault of the victim that they are being abused.  Back to the videos I perused, from the experts to the common contributors, people tend to blame the victim for staying.  “You dumb as hell for staying with a dude who beats you.”  “The woman doesn’t know what is happening and therefore stays around.”  “If you loved yourself enough, you would leave.”  “Ain’t nothing stopping you but yourself.”  All I hear is:

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, WOMP, WOMP, WOMP!