Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence is happening right now. It can happen to anyone, anywhere. It does not discriminate. It occurs in all races, ethnicities, and socio-economic levels. According to the US Department of Justice, Domestic Violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors used by one partner in the relationship. The abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic and psychological (2013).

I remember growing up and hearing screaming and crying coming from my next door neighbor’s apartment. The sound of chair braking and mirror cracking was very common. Then a silence came about. The following day, quietly walk out of her home with huge darkly shaded sunglasses; shamefully looking down to cover for the damage that her husband had done to her face. At that time I did not understand what exactly was going on. All I heard was the muffled comments made by my grandmother and my mother. I only wondered what had she done. As I matured, I began to realize that this woman was not alone. Statistics say that every 9 second a woman is beaten or assaulted in the US alone (Domestic Violence statistics, 2013). Sadly, this number is not correct, considering that this is just based on the amount of Domestic Violence cases being reported. Most people only look at the physical aspect to the issue, ignoring that Domestic Violence can also be in other forms. My mother, her neighbor was also a victim, only in a different way. For many years my mother underwent the emotional abuse that my father exposed her, me and my sibling too. He forbade her from going to school, stating that all women that sought an education were unfaithful to their husbands. He convinced her to spend the earnings she made while working for his family and denied her any of his money when she fell short. This was economic abuse which is defined as, attempting to make an individual financially dependent by maintaining total control over financial resources, withholding one's access to money, or forbidding one's...