Everyone has a voice, everyone has the ability to speak up, and absolutely everyone has the right to yell for help, but how many actually do either one?
Once upon a time, female abuse was in all types of media and headlines. It was an issue no one refused to be quiet about. However, as time has gone by, awareness on abuse against women has decreased.
When was the last time you heard about a domestic violence incident or read an article on trying to bring awareness to the issue?
That’s exactly my point. I would like to take a moment to remind us all of one of the major crimes that unfortunately takes place daily. The mere fact that we are blindfolded and cannot see it does not stop the abuse from occurring.
As I began to write this article, I was thinking to myself, “maybe the reason female abuse is not spoken or heard of as often anymore is because it does not happen as often,” but as I did my research I quickly confirmed I was wrong.
According to the National Coalition against Domestic Violence (NCADV), one in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Can you imagine that?
I personally have three younger sisters, so we are a total of four women. Statistically, one of us is bound to experience domestic violence. When I think of it that way, I cannot help but freak out a bit.
When we relate statistics to our everyday lives, it hits harder and the crime no longer seems like such a stranger.
The National Coalition against Domestic Violence also reports that 85 percent of domestic violence victims are women.
That means women are the target of more than three-fourths of all domestic violence cases ever reported (we can only imagine how much larger that number is if unreported cases were taken into consideration).
You might be thinking to yourself, ‘how is it possible for statistics to be so shockingly high when you have never encountered anyone who has experienced any type of abuse?’
Reason for that is because most women will be embarrassed to speak up of such experiences and it most cases it will take years before they speak out.
Lucky for you, I know a marvelous young woman who openly offered her input without my request.
The abuse this young woman experience caused a permanent damage on her perspective on life and those who surround her. She openly shared that the abuse “affected the way [she] thought about [herself] and men. [She] can hardly trust what other people say to [her]. It’s like an everyday battle.” Doesn’t it astonish you how a single event can impact a person’s entire life?
My interviewee also admitted that, in agreement to what I previously mentioned, her abuse occurred at the age of eight and she did not speak out about it until she was 22, the first person she told being her mother.
Like my interviewee, there is an uncountable amount of women in this world that experience different types of abuse. The statistics on female abuse are in fact scary, but they are nowhere near as scary as reality.
In reality, the number of women being abused daily is much larger. If you know anyone who is part of these statistics, do not be afraid to speak up.
When those who are being abused cannot speak, it is our job to have a voice for them. Want to help bring awareness of female abuse to others?
Join the Lovely Ladies of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. Tau Chapter, 180 Turning Lives Around, Counseling and Psychological Services, Gender Studies, Office of Residential Life, and the Office of Student Activities on their Speak Out Speak Up event going on May 1 at the Rebecca Stafford Student Center Patio. Don’t be another uncounted statistic, have your voice be heard.
