Join movement against violence

Statistics are startling. According to a Commonwealth Fund survey, nearly one third of American women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives.

Does this shock you? There are many things you can do to join the movement against domestic violence and raise awareness of the issue:

Educate yourself, your friends and your family about domestic violence – a pattern of violent behaviors that adults or adolescents use against their intimate partners. This includes sexual, verbal and emotional abuse and even economic control over another person.

Be aware of warning signs such as a controlling husband or boyfriend who monitors the behavior of his wife or girlfriend, puts her down in front of other people or acts extremely jealous of others, especially other men. Women in an abusive relationship often have unexplained injuries or casually mention their partner’s violent behavior, but laugh it off as a joke.

You can show your support to victims of domestic violence by giving to related fund-raisers and attending local events in the community that benefit the shelter. For information on how you can help someone involved in an abusive relationship, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or the local Families in Crisis domestic violence program at 473-6221.