According to the Family Violence Prevention Fund, at least one out of every three women around the world has been a victim of domestic violence during her lifetime.
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. once called domestic violence a “serious social problem that impacts all Utahns and is not bound by gender, economics, religion or ethnicity.” He could not be more right.
The American Medical Association defines domestic violence as “past or present physical and/or sexual violence between former or current intimate partners, adult household members, or children and a parent. Abused persons and perpetrators could be of either sex, and couples could be heterosexual or homosexual.”
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, domestic violence is one of the fastest-growing and most serious violent crimes in Utah today. Over 5,000 clients, 99 percent of which are women and children, are served in Utah’s domestic violence shelters annually. Those are just the ones who seek aid. Thousands more suffer in silence every day. Worse yet, domestic violence result in numerous deaths each year — 29 Utahns died as a result of domestic violence last year alone.
My experiences with domestic violence have fortunately been second-hand but unfortunately numerous in my life. Several of my friends, loved ones and my own mother are victims of domestic violence. Only one-third of them reported the violence they suffered to the police, which is one way I know domestic violence has to be a bigger problem in Utah than statistics indicate.
I have seen the awful physical, psychological and other effects of domestic violence on my loved ones. Women and children have been scarred for life. Families have been permanently ripped apart. Lives have been forever changed for the worse. Domestic violence survivors’ physical scars may heal with time, but their emotional wounds often remain indefinitely.
I think almost all of us agree that domestic violence is bad, but many of us disagree about or don’t know what can or should be done to remedy the epidemic that currently affects thousands of women and children in Utah each year.
You may choose to refer victims of domestic violence to any of the numerous authorities or organizations that exist to help them. On campus, female students in need of assistance may contact the Women’s Resource Center at 801-581-8030. On or off campus, persons in need can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline toll-free at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for immediate aid or protection, or 911 in cases of emergency.
Throughout this holiday season and beyond, please think about the people you know who are in relationships. Be mindful of any indications of something dangerous or out of the ordinary in the relationship that you might interpret as warning signs that they are experiencing domestic violence.
Whether the victim is willing to discuss his or her situation with you or not, follow the suggested steps to try and help, or at least let him or her know you are there if he or she needs you. Domestic violence is a crisis that affects us all, but if we can soften the blow even a little bit, or perhaps prevent the deaths from domestic violence that occur in Utah each year, it will all be worth it. If we all reach out, we just might be able to meet this goal.
By knowing what to do in cases of domestic violence, we can work together to prevent an increase in domestic violence while healing its victims and society on the whole. Perhaps one day, no man, woman or child will need to fear that they’ll be harmed by someone they love. We can only hope that through education, awareness and action on our parts that we can achieve such an end.
