Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Domestic violence Awareness Month seeks to raise awareness of the statistics surrounding domestic violence. For instance, did you know, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner during their life? Or that on a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide (NCADV Statistics)?

By raising awareness of signs of domestic abuse, the hope is that friends & family will recognize the warning signs and know how to help; that victims of domestic violence will know about the resources available to help them escape; and that cases of domestic violence will decrease.

What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence is defined as, “the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats, economic, and emotional/psychological abuse. The frequency and severity of domestic violence varies dramatically (NCADV).”

While domestic violence can result in physical injury, it can also result in psychological trauma and be accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior. Domestic violence affects all people regardless of age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality, and can have consequences that cross generations. The impacts of domestic violence and can last a lifetime or beyond, often being passed down as generational trauma.

*infographic data from NCADV

Click here for a list of organizations who offer information or resources on domestic violence.

Sources

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: Domestic Violence
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: Statistics

Jerica Rossi

Jerica Rossi is a Marketing & Marketing Associate of PIMSY EHR. For more information about electronic solutions for your practice, check out Behavioral Health EHR.