Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM)

#WeAreResilient #SurvivorSpeaks

Domestic violence has been all around the world and for a while. Some people didn’t and don’t see it as bad since they believe that is how someone should be treated. This can be seen mostly in women, they believe that the man they married, has a say in what they can do or cannot. They don’t speak up because either that is how they were raised, they are in love with the person, or they are just scared. This can also be seen in men as it is not women who live in a domestic violence situation.

Before I didn’t take much of a stand this was because, in a way, I was scared. I think because I only heard stories of it happening to other people. Not until it happened to someone close to me. It became more real to me. I saw that everything we see on television can be true in real life. I was able to see that is all around us. It can be seen happening in small ways or big ways. Most people who suffer domestic violence don’t speak up because they believe that they can fix it.

I have a very close family member that chose to leave her significant other. She has permitted me to share a bit of her story. My family member did not want to leave because they had a child. She wanted her child to have both a mom and a dad who lived together. She was okay in how she was suffering. He was very controlling with her but she wanted her beautiful child to be happy. It wasn’t until she finally saw how controlling he was that she decided she could not stay with him. So, she left him and by doing this, she was finally able to feel free and is now glowing with so much happiness.

In some cases, domestic violence can use controls including physical, verbal, isolation, sexual and emotional abuse. Any of these are bad because they hurt the person receiving the abuse. In a way, the abused feel that they deserve it but in reality, no one deserves to feel that way. Before this issue wasn’t spoken about out loud, but I am glad it is being spoken about more and more. Everyone needs to speak up about domestic violence. It should be shared every day throughout the year, not just in October because domestic violence is very real. We got lucky, my family member said something before it was too late, but in some cases, it is too late before one speaks up.

Here are some tips to access resources if you are or someone you know is being abused.

Esmerelda Cruz
GSC programmer