6 Myths Of Domestic Violence That Every Person Should Know
- In US, every 9 seconds, a woman is assaulted or beaten by her partner;
- In 2014, nearly 3 million men were victims of physical violence from their partner;
- Somalia, Zambia, India and even Russia and US- all rank high in the domestic violence rate.
All the above mentioned facts show that domestic violence sees no male or female, developed or under-developed and rich or poor. It’s a global epidemic that needs to be dealt with urgency with stricter laws and more number of domestic violence classes.
But despite its large prevalence in the society, there exist many myths about domestic violence, which only worsen the situation of the victims. Here are some of them-
MYTHS
Not solely about physical violence- Domestic violence is not solely about physical abuse. This mythical narrow definition- “Domestic violence is only physical violence” has prevented many women and men around the world to even identify themselves as victims. Domestic violence also includes sexual, psychological and economic abuse.
Result of Alcohol and Drugs- Yes, in many cases, substance abuse is the main reason behind domestic violence; but this is not the scenario in all cases. Some people are habitual abuser- they suppress their partner just to get satisfaction. It is domination in the relation that they seek.
“It’s you… not me”- Unsurprisingly, it is the victims that are made to believe by the abuser that they trigger the violence, when more often than not, that is not the case. It is the abusers who are responsible, regardless the reason behind their outburst. There’s never really any room for ‘who initiated or provoked the whole violent act?’ Abusers are abusers and victims are victims.
Couple counseling- Many partners are ill-advised that couple counseling can smoothen their relation, when that is far from the truth. Couple counseling are majorly for both partners who know that their relationship is in turmoil and they both need to save it by consciously adapting to several methods; ‘both’ and ‘consciously’ being the keywords here. While in the case of domestic violence, it is generally one partner who is responsible behind any damage in the relationship, and he/she is reluctant to solve it.
There’s more to the abusers- Like mentioned, it is substance abuse, stress or personal satisfaction that leads to domestic violence. But there could be something more to the abusers that this. Maybe the abuser is sick, mentally imbalanced and needs psychiatrist?
Domestic violence classes are magic- Domestic violence classes are, in many ways, the safe haven for the victims. But it is falsely propagated to that these classes are ‘wonderland’ and ‘they can solve your problems magically’; this is not true. What these therapists do is understand the core problem of the victims and strategize efficient methods which he/she can use the next time when they face any domestic violence.
Evidently, the methods from domestic violence classes are a time consuming process. But it sure can heal the problems of the victims from the core for a ‘…happily ever after.’ Besides, unless the governments and organizations make stricter laws, domestic violence classes are the best and only way to root.
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