Domestic Violence Awareness Month – Support for Survivors

Domestic abuse affects far too many people, every single day. Twenty four people per minute in the United States are victims of contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner (National Domestic Violence Hotline), or nearly 1 in 2 women and over 2 in 5 men (CDC). Of those who are affected, over fifty million women and thirty million men have reported a significant mental or physical health impact, including injury, PTSD, or serious feelings of fear, insecurity, and lack of safety (CDC). And the impacts go beyond those directly abused. Children who witness domestic violence are significantly more likely to develop behavioral and mental health issues and become victims and abusers in the future.

While domestic violence is a sensitive topic for many, it’s crucial to raise awareness of the pain and destruction it causes in households around the globe. If we neglect the significant impact it has on millions of lives, the cycle will only continue. By educating yourself on domestic abuse this Domestic Violence Awareness Month and by being an advocate for victims, you help to foster a more loving world.

Signs of Domestic Abuse

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, domestic violence is defined as any “pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power or control over another intimate partner.” This abuse can be physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, or financial. Unfortunately, it can be hard to tell at the beginning of a relationship if a partner will become abusive. Over time, the abusive partner may begin to exert more and more control over the other. Key signs of domestic abuse include:

• Frequent name-calling and criticism intended to damage a partner’s self-esteem
• Punching, hitting, shoving, kicking, and other forms of physical abuse and injury
• Threats of causing injury to loved ones, themselves, partners, or pets
• Extreme jealousy, possessiveness, and lack of trust
• Destroying belongings
• Forcing or coercing sexual contact without consent
• Limiting access to financial assets, preventing a partner from making money, withholding money, or otherwise forcing a partner’s financial dependence
• Stalking behaviors such as repeated harassment that results in fear, often enforced through technology

Support for Domestic Abuse

If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic abuse, here is a curated list of helpful resources for support:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: offers 24/7 support from expert advocates that work to understand and help you with your situation. Advocates curate individualized and local resources to build a safety plan. Support is available via phone (1-800-799-7233), chat, and text (text “START” to 88788). Their website also includes articles to help understand and identify domestic violence, as well as a searchable directory for local providers.
• WINGS: owns and operates two safe houses for those fleeing domestic violence in the greater Chicago area. Safe houses provide shelter, food, clothing, counseling, legal resources, and safety planning. WINGS also has a network of houses and apartments throughout the Chicago metropolitan area for transitional housing, so that survivors and their children can continue the path of rebuilding their lives. They also operate a 24 hours domestic violence hotline (847-221-5680).
• Connections for Abused Women and Their Children (CAWC): a leader in providing care and support for families escaping domestic abuse, CAWC uses a “self-help, empowerment approach” to equip adults and children with the “skills they need to live a life that is free of fear and to move forward on their healing journey.” CAWC offers shelter, individual and group domestic violence counseling with trained professionals, opportunities to connect with legal advocates, support with police relations, substance abuse treatment, safety planning, and a 24-hour domestic abuse hotline (773-278-4566).
• &Rise: works to “empower women survivors of trauma and abuse to become the ultimate version of themselves no matter what adversities they’ve faced.” Based in the Chicago area, &Rise offers one-on-one counseling, coaching, and a range of support groups for trauma and abuse survivors, both virtually and in-person. One of their in-person support groups for women trauma survivors meets at Tribe every Monday at 7pm CST. To learn more about this event, use this link.

Conclusion

Every person deserves to feel loved, safe, and understood. If you or someone you care about is suffering from domestic abuse, we hope that these resources provide tools on the path to safety.