I Was Prisoner in My Own Home-Update

7/23/2019 I Was Prisoner in My Own Home-Update

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I Was Prisoner In My Own Home

I was a prisoner in my own home. I couldn't look out the window. My mom was in

the hospital for surgery. I couldn't go to the hospital to see my mother unless hewas with me. his is not !ust the physical a"use# the $er"al a"use# the se%ual a"use&

it was !ust e$erything !ust at once.

omestic $iolence and a"use can happen to anyone# yet the pro"lem is often

o$erlooked# e%cused# or denied. his is especially true when the a"use is

psychological# rather than physical. (oticing and acknowledging the signs of an

a"usi$e relationship are the )rst step to ending it. (o one should li$e in fear of the

person they lo$e. omestic $iolence and a"use does not discriminate. It happens

among heterose%ual couples and in same*se% partnerships. It occurs within all age

ranges# ethnic "ackgrounds# and economic le$els. Women are more commonly

$ictimi+ed,especially $er"ally and emotionally. he "ottom line is that a"usi$e

"eha$ior is ne$er accepta"le# whether it-s coming from a man# a woman# a

teenager# or an older adult. ou deser$e to feel $alued# respected# and safe.

What makes it any fewer okay to hit a woman o$er a man/

*If you say that a woman is physically inferior# you're "eing se%ist. What if a

"ody"uilder woman came up to an o"ese# nonathletic male and assaulted him/

Would the situation still "e worse if the genders were re$ersed/ I thought people

wanted e0ual rights# not a matriarchy. I thought that's what feminism was all a"out.

How common you say/

1$ery year# 2 in 3 women who is a $ictim of homicide is murdered "y her current or

former partner.

Women e%perience more than 4 million physical assaults and rapes "ecause of their

partners. 5lmost one*third of female homicide $ictims that are reported in police

records are killed "y an intimate partner. In 67*879 of intimate partner homicides#

no matter which partner was killed# the man physically a"used the woman "efore

the murder.

:ess than one*)fth of $ictims reporting an in!ury from intimate partner $iolence

sought medical treatment following the in!ury. Intimate partner $iolence results in

more than 28.; million mental health care $isits each year. Women assaulted "y

men they know< he self*completion module of the =772.

our partner apologi+es and says the hurtful "eha$ior won't happen again , "ut

you fear it will. 5t times you wonder whether you're imagining the a"use# yet the

emotional or physical pain you feel is real. >ounds familiar/


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?ritish @rime >ur$ey research found that Awomen are most commonly se%ually

assaulted "y men they knowA. When the researchers asked women a"out the last

incident of rape e%perienced since the age of 2B# they found that 4;9 were raped

"y current hus"ands or partners# C9 "y former partners# and a further =C9 of

perpetrators were otherwise known to the $ictim. Only 269 were raped "y

strangers. >tarts from home# does it/

ake power and control.

Detting out of an a"usi$e or $iolent relationship isn-t easy. May"e you-re still hoping

that things will change or you-re afraid of what your partner will do if he disco$ers

you-re trying to lea$e. Whate$er your reasons# you pro"a"ly feel trapped and

helpless. ?ut help is a$aila"le. here are many resources a$aila"le for a"used and

"attered women. ou deser$e to li$e free of fear. >tart "y reaching out.

Why doesn-t she !ust lea$e/ It-s the 0uestion many people ask when they learn that

a woman is "eing "attered and a"used. ?ut if you are in an a"usi$e relationship#

you know that it-s not that simple. 1nding an important relationship is ne$er easy.

It-s e$en harder when you-$e "een isolated from your family and friends#

psychologically "eaten down# )nancially controlled# and physically threatened. he

only thing that matters is your safety.

espite what many people "elie$e# domestic $iolence and a"use is not due to the

a"user-s loss of control o$er his or her "eha$ior. In fact# a"usi$e "eha$ior and

$iolence is a deli"erate choice made "y the a"user in order to control you. (othing

can "e an e%cuse to tortureE

AMany neigh"ors# they tend to turn a "lind eye to situations# hear arguing#

screaming and see and they're afraid to speak up. hey should speak up. hey

might "e sa$ing some"ody's life. I wish some"ody would ha$e done that for me. I

wish they would ha$e spoken up#A she said. *@?> (ews spoke with a

$ictim of domestic $iolence.

If you suspect that someone you know is "eing a"used# speak upE If you-re

hesitating,telling yourself that it-s none of your "usiness# you might "e wrong# or

the person might not want to talk a"out it,keep in mind that e%pressing your

concern will let the person know that you care and may e$en sa$e her life.

here are many resources a$aila"le for a"used and "attered women# including crisis

hotlines# shelters,e$en !o" training# legal ser$ices# and childcare.

he pain you go through cuts# scrapes and "ruises# fractures# dislocated "ones#

hearing loss# $ision loss# miscarriage or early deli$ery# se%ually transmitted

diseases# knife wounds# gunshot wounds. 5sk yourself# did you picture your life in

such way/ Feach out# (owE


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he longer you stay in an a"usi$e relationship# the greater the physical and

emotional toll. ou might "ecome depressed and an%ious. ou might "egin to dou"t

your a"ility to take care of yourself or wonder if the a"use is your fault. ou might

feel helpless or paraly+ed.

omestic $iolence not only aGects those who are a"used# "ut also has a su"stantialeGect on family mem"ers# friends# co*workers# other witnesses# and the community

at large. @hildren# who grow up witnessing domestic $iolence# are seriously aGected

"y this crime. re0uent e%posure to $iolence in the home not only predisposes

children to numerous social and physical pro"lems# "ut also teaches them that

$iolence is a normal way of life * therefore# increasing their risk of "ecoming

society's ne%t generation of $ictims and a"users.

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I Was Prisoner in My Own Home-Update