Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence and its Effect on People by Stephanie Perez 

Introduction 

There are people in the world who suffer from domestic violence and there's some that experience it but don't realize it till it is too late. Domestic violence affects people in ways one can't imagine. Domestic Violence affected a family member therefore affecting many of us. It didn't only affect her but it affected her children tremendously. People need to be aware of the effects this can bring to someone and how it can damage that person. Such action can bring horrific consequences for those that let it happen. this occurs normally to women, whether its abuse from their husband or boyfriend, neither is correct. Not only is this issue horrible but it sets a bad example for others. In families, this can set a terrific example in children. Domestic Violence can be physical, verbal, or sexual. All affect people in many ways.

Research

People don't realize what it is like for someone who experiences domestic violence. No one will really know unless victims come forward and share their story before it is too late. According to Melissa Jeltsen a senior editor from The Huffington Post, Laura Aceves was a victim of domestic violence. She suffered from this due to the maltreatment of her ex boyfriend. A man who beat her with baseball bats and destroyed her things. She was only 21 years old, Laura had many more years of life that came short due to this issue. "According to family members and court records, Laura spent the last year of her life being terrorized by Acuna-Sanchez. He allegedly beat her with a baseball bat, dragged her behind a car, strangled her until she blacked out on the floor and told her over and over how he would kill her if she ever left him." Melissa explains by statements of family members how Laura spent her last year of life terrorized by this man. Laura was murdered in her apartment by ex boyfriend Victor Acuna-Sanchez. She tried hard to keep that man away as much as possible but it wasn't enough. This didn't only affect Laura but it affected her family. Her family now has to get accustomed to be without her due to this issue. 

Children can be some of the victims that can get affected the most. Dr. Kathryn Seifert a psychologist states that the environment one lives in sets the example to how a children would react in certain situations. If with violence they tend to solve  family issues children are going to believe that that is the right thing to do when in a reality it becomes something that can ruin their lives in the long run. "Children that grow up in violent homes (3.3 million per year in the US) are strongly impacted by the violence. Those that become healthy, non-violent adults have had at least one person give them a “safe harbor” and help them cope with the trauma of living with violence. Children that grow up in violent homes at a young age, who become violent adults have not had someone to give them sufficient support, nurturing, guidance, boundaries, and a adequately healthy environment for them to overcome their experiences." Dr. Kathryn states that children who grow up believing violence is the answer to everything has to do with the environment they live in. 

A domestic abuse project is a group of people that try and help victims. In their website they state reasons why women decide to stay with their abusive partner rather than letting go. A few of those reasons can be women being scared because their partner threatened to kill them. The partner says he'll take the children and disappear, or even him threatening to spread rumors. 

Sources

 "Home." Domestic Abuse Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2016. Retrieved from 
http://www.domesticabuseproject.com/                                               

Jeltsen, Melissa. "This Is How A Domestic Violence Victim Falls Through The Cracks." The Huffington Post. N.p., 16 June 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2016. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/16/domestic-violence_n_5474177.html

Seifert, Kathryn. "Domestic Violence Harms All Family Members." Psychology Today. N.p., 30 October 2012. Web. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/stop-the-cycle/201210/domestic-violence-harms-all-family-members   

Personal

 This issue affects hundreds of people therefore it is safe to bring awareness to put an end to this issue and help victims free themselves. It is time for humans to let go of their fears and come forward with their issue so that they can get help from professionals. This issue is relevant to me because like mentioned before I have a family member that was a victim of domestic violence, it affected her tremendously that she had thought of committing suicide. This didn't only affect her but it affected her children. It affected them because they witnessed every single moment of it.

Supporters