No Excuses -- The Truth About Domestic Violence
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Watch "The Savage Cycle," an examination of domestic violence from the perspective of the abused, the abuser and those who try to help. |
The statistics are shocking. In the United States, on average more than three women a day are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends. Approximately three out of four Americans report personally knowing a woman who has been physically abused by her husband or boyfriend in the past year, and an estimated one in three adolescent girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner. It could be your neighbor, friend, co-worker, or relative who is experiencing or has experienced abuse by her boyfriend, partner, or spouse. Relationship violence affects all socioeconomic, ethnic and age groups.
LaTresa Wiley is a domestic violence social worker at the University of Michigan Health System. Wiley says, "Relationship violence is about one person's desire to gain and maintain power over their intimate partner." Wiley says that people often blame alcohol or mental health for someone's abusive behavior. "Battering is not about anger management. Batterers know how to control themselves in other settings. Battering is a choice," says Wiley.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The University of Michigan Health System has planned events for the UMHS community. People may be aware that domestic violence is still a serious problem, but Wiley says that people wonder why a woman stays in an abusive relationship instead of questioning why someone is abusive. The truth is that abuse is NEVER the victim's fault.
prepared for the Women's Health Progam web site 10/09
