“How do we break the silence around domestic violence? On the next Your Call, we’ll speak with Olivia Klaus, director of Sin by Silence, a domestic violence documentary about incarcerated women speaking out. We’ll also be joined by Brenda Clubine. She spent 26 years in prison and founded Convicted Women Against Abuse to change laws and raise awareness. Why is it still so hard to talk about domestic violence?”
Most women experience their first violent relationship between the ages of 16-24.
This crucial age is when many women make the decision to leave a relationship and look out for future warning signs or enter the cycle of violence. The documentary, Sin By Silence offers a unique gateway for young women to see how irrevocable the decision to stay can be.
Relationships can be a difficult subject to discuss for family members. Often a family member has a suspicion about a partner, yet judgments can do far more to hurt than to help.
Violent relationships are difficult to talk about because of embarrassment and shame, but time is ticking and every moment counts. If you suspect that a family member is currently in an abusive relationship, there are many ways to connect with them.
Educate yourself on the warning signs of violent relationships.
Women are perpetrators of domestic violence as frequently as men are.
NOT TRUE: Men are the batterers in more than 95% of all reported cases.
Battery is an anger management problem.
NOT TRUE: If domestic violence were an anger management problem, then batterers would also punch out fellow employees or neighbors. A batterer hurts the vulnerable person in his life to maintain control.
The victims of domestic violence are dysfunctional women who don’t know any better and like the drama.
NOT TRUE: Two-thirds of women in domestic violence cases are “normal.” They could be your mother, sister or friend.
Batterers don’t enjoy hitting their victim; they just can’t control themselves.
NOT TRUE: New research indicates that many batterers are bullies who actually enjoy causing physical injury and exerting control over their victim.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, remember that for many women this is just another day living in fear. Let someone know they are loved. Woman to woman, mother to daughter, friend to friend…we can all make a difference! Click here to send a card.
Along our Stop the Violence Tour, we had two screenings in the town of Springfield, MO. Springfield is located in Greene County which has seen, from 2005 to 2008, domestic violence cases rose from 118 calls to 242…an increase of 205 percent over four years. Domestic violence is a major crisis in that area, and it was an honor to be a part of making a difference through bringing Sin by Silence to that community.
Yet, there is even more of a difference being made by the announcement of the local Police Department adding domestic violence detective with stimulus money and a grant from the Violence Against Women Act. I’d like to think we were part of helping spark this change in the Springfield community!
You know what would be a good way to help stop domestic violence? Well, a Danish advocacy group thinks they have the answer. It’s a new online game entitled “Hit The Bitch” where you can simulate beating your girlfriend until she is black and blue with just the click of a button. My blood is boiling! Is this the new wave of advocacy? Is this a new way to discourage domestic violence by letting you slap a women as much as you want?My mouth is still wide open in amazement. It’s true. It’s real. It’s out there. It’s online for kids to play and laugh at over and over and over again because, in this game, it apparently takes 10 virtual slaps with the stroke of the computer mouse to get to the finish line. So, make sure not to give up before she’s thoroughly bruised because the score results in either 100% Pussy or 100% Gangsta. But, wait…there’s a catch! You become 100% Idiot! Really? Is this what we’ve succumb to? We’re resulting to an online game that is suppose to make us feel guilty, like a real-life abuser might, for continuing to hit the woman just to see what happens next? I think something has gone terribly wrong with this campaign!
Violence in video games, music lyrics, literature, general ordinary everyday behavior is apparent enough. We need to be creating things with the message that violence in any way, shape, form, or online game is wrong. Hands, or the click of a mouse, should not be for hitting. We should be trying to promote healthy relationships and the respect of women. Always. Always. I’ll say it one more time…Always!
