Help Fight Against Domestic Abuse

Have you ever been the victim of your husband's bad mood when he comes home at the end of the day only to make you into his personal punching bag? Or maybe your wife's feeling overworked and underpaid as a secretary and lashes out, shouting, screaming and hitting you for no reason whatsoever? Are you a grandmother who's been thrown out of your own house by the kids you slogged your entire life to provide food, shelter and love to? Or a child, young or old, being abused in any way by your parent/s? Then this is the right article for you to read, for you are not alone. Domestic violence is rife in all our lives, be it in our own homes or that of our neighbours and extended family members.

The first thing that one needs to understand is that domestic violence is not what happens when a parent attempts to discipline his/her child with a light smack on the cheek, nor is the accidental verbal argument that you have with your wife/husband when everything feels a bit too much. Domestic violence is that which causes mental and physical harm to members in a household; it happens on an ongoing basis and is a very dangerous thing. It can be physically, emotionally and psychologically harmful to the victim, and gives the perpetrator unfair advantage in the situation. This kind of abuse is just as bad as any other type since at times the situation escalates to levels of physical beatings, rape and even death due to the psychological damage and physical hurt the victim experience.

Keep in mind that the perpetrator and victim can be anyone - man, woman, child, grand parent. I have personally heard of incidents where son's and grand children have physically assaulted their mothers and grandmothers and husband's have actually been injured by his wife's high heeled shoe because she struck him in the head with intent to do him bodily harm. It's heartbreaking to see this happening in such a knowledgeable and world wise society today. In cases like these, one should be wary of the signs of domestic abuse. When you see someone who is normally of a happy, spontaneous nature shying away from things they would do before in an extreme way; they do not want to socialize with friends and family. This is the type of behavioral change one should watch out for since this is typical of abused people. Some on the other hand tend to become more aggressive with the rest of the world and retaliate in a harsh manner at every suggestion you make to them. Others begin to act out and put themselves in dangerous circumstances, star abusing drugs and alcohol and other mind altering substances in order to escape their reality. Note at the same time, that not every quiet person comes from an abusive home; some people out there are just introverts or shy. But if you happen to see strange bruises on your friends/ students arm at school and when you speak to the parents' there is fear and trepidation in the eyes of one (and bruises on them too) and power in the others, you can possibly look into steps towards helping them.

I once read a poem entitled "I Got Flowers Today" by Allen W. Dowdell, which is probably a good representation of how a romantic relationship can turn abusive for anyone involved with someone who seems unnecessarily protective. It also provides signs to watch out for and a reason to get out of a relationship that looks abusive. You can have a read for yourself at this site twotrees.www.50megs.com/poetry/flowers.html.

You can help those suffering from domestic abuse by approaching your local police station and finding out from them if there are any advice clinics for these families, the legal system and social services can step in to rectify the situation, or local shelters and help lines can be contacted for their advice. In extreme circumstances restraining orders can be taken out against the abuser and the family put into a shelter or under the care of people who are capable of helping them. There are help lines worldwide that are able to help you get through this so you can live a life that is complete and happy, even if it's just to have someone to talk to in your time of weakness, when you feel like there's no other way out or that you have no voice. You DO have a voice. Someone wants to help you. Let a help line be your life line.