Modern Day Domestic Abuse: How We Can Offer More Support to the Victims
Domestic abuse, particularly against women in the world, is a hot topic issue in the media today thanks to the powerful #MeToo movement and the exposure of Harvey Weinstein and other notorious sexual predators and abusers. There’s a reason the movement is so popular: 1 in 4 women (24.3%) ages 18-years and older have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner.
Our society has advanced tremendously over the past few hundreds of years; why does such behavior continue?
Media Glorification
For starters, it doesn’t help that abusers are given massive media spotlights. Many of them continue to act and secure their influential role in public, reinforcing their invincibility. While advancements are being made to shed light on this unacceptable practice, little retribution is witnessed for those who deserve it the most.
Taboo Topic
Additionally, until recently, the discussion of domestic violence was considered taboo and inappropriate, forcing millions to keep quiet and bottle up their physical danger until for some – it was too late. It’s uncomfortable to explore what happens to a sizeable portion of the population behind closed doors, and as trillions of conversations unfold online, in-person, and through social media about #MeToo, it’s a good time for all of us to come up with our own solutions.
Changing the System
As it stands, a sex offender is required to register their residency for local agencies, schools, and community members to know. How come we don’t have that type of system in place for domestic abusers? Although nothing is more heinous than the unlawful touching of children, domestic abusers should get their time in the limelight, embarrassed and ostracized by the community surrounding them.
There should be a domestic abuse registry that makes it easy for everyone (mainly women, but also men) to be made aware of who they are dealing with. Since it’s a taboo topic, many times, women end up in relationships and have no idea their partner is capable of physical violence. If there’s a record, it should be registered, and people everywhere should be able to read it.
Lawful Changes
As politicians ponder the issue of domestic abuse and how to curb the alarming rates in the U.S. at this time, I ask everyone reading this to consider their own solutions today. Collectively, we’ve created something as profound as the #MeToo movement. Let’s do it again on a local scale to protect domestic abuse victims around the country from becoming just another statistic.
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