By: Komaljeet Kaur, JS Student
Reposted from her Blog “Intellectualsunited”
Whenever an incident regarding Domestic Violence is brought up, an image of a male physically abusing a female typically pops up into our mind. There are two things that are wrong about this stereotypical image: 1) The perpetrators are not always males 2) There are other forms of domestic violence that are equally destructive in comparison to physical domestic violence. Emotional, sexual, and economical forms of domestic violence are overlooked upon by society because there are no obvious signs (evidence).
Society needs to acknowledge that domestic violence affects an individual physically and emotionally. The symptoms are not always apparent, without looking beyond the physical we may never realize that someone we care about is being a victim of domestic violence. The individual that is experiencing other forms of domestic violence may not realize that he/she is in an emotionally abusive relationship because it is not as widely recognized or discussed.
Other forms of domestic violence are also not taken into to consideration because the interpretation of the definition, vary in individual perceptions.
Awareness of domestic violence is being spread through various outreach programs and a change is occurring. “Love the way you Lie” by Eminem ft. Rihanna is one mainstream video that presents the complexity of domestic violence. The lyrics, video depiction, and artists decision to highlight such a taboo topic is commendable, hopefully more meaningful videos will surface on the media in order to connect society to reality.
Spread awareness and prevent a loved one from falling prey to domestic violence. For additional information on the various forms of domestic violence please refer to this short PowerPoint presentation on Domestic Violence.
Tags: domestic violence