“Don’t Look Away:


Domestic Violence in America” By Dr. Ke


t Domestic violence awareness month


exists to help highlight some realities of the issues that face our community year round. This month comes on the heels of a very public domestic violence case involving a professional football player and his wife. In this case, the public had very little interest until the video was re- leased of the actual incident. Does this type of behavior shock our conscious as a nation? According to the National Coalition


against Domestic Violence a study by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Centers for Injury Prevention (2003), found an estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year.


Does this number seem


unrealistic or shock your conscious such as the Ray Rice video? Unfortunately, domestic violence is often ignored and under prosecuted because our society has a hard time coping with complexities that come along with these cases. Often victims physically appear in


good health and the notion of just leaving the partner is the clear solution to the issue. Is the victim financially dependent on the abuse? Is the victim afraid of the stigma that comes along with speaking out? Will the victim be blamed for the abuse or be accused of contributing to the abusive relationship? These questions and more are being debated as America dissects the Ray Rice case.


P ture fro ic m knnoe ynlinene . t Similar to the outrage of the


treatment of minorities during the civil rights movement, this video shows the ugly hidden truth that our society often dismisses as “someone else’s problem.” Let's take the time this month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month to support organizations that bring awareness to this horrific pattern of behavior that often goes under or unreported to avoid the complexity of issues that surround our violent culture.


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6 PHF MAGAZINE


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