What is Empowerment Against Domestic Violence?
Protecting yourself against domestic violence requires empowerment. An abuser can be anyone be it a man or woman. Its the fundamental flaw in the behavior of your partner that leads to such a situation.
Domestic Violence happens not only at home but in any kind of relationship. When someone close to us has power and control over our lives and they start abusing that power, it leads to domestic violence.
The only way to prevent this is to learn when domestic violence happens and taking steps to prevent it. Empower yourselves!
Signs Of Domestic Violence
Remember Domestic Violence is not your fault. Its an abuse and it has its signs. Let us look at a few of them.
- Sexual Assault
It is unwanted sexual behavior that makes a person extremely uncomfortable and likely to induce a huge range of emotions. This can include non-consensual sex, child sex abuse, and physical assault among many others.
Use this link to learn more about sexual assault and empower yourself.
- Possessive Behaviour
The person has extreme control over your lives. They want to know each and everything that you do in a day and get angry if your day is not going according to them.
They will check on you every minute and get jealous very easily. This often leads to emotional trauma.
- Putting you down
Putting you down in front of others and making fun of your abilities, income, opinions, or intelligence. Constant comparison with others and insulting you for the way you are.
- Physical Violence
Your abuser starts getting physically violent against you and this includes beatings, pushing, forcefully making you do things, and damaging the things that you value.
- Financial Abuse
The person has full financial control over you and you are dependent on them for your expenses. They will implore you for every penny that you spend.
- Personal Independence
The abuser dominates your life choices and has full control over what you are doing. They might not allow you to pursue your dreams and try to keep you under their control. Being under such a relationship makes it very difficult to get out of it.
Taking Steps To Prevent Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is not your fault. Acknowledgment is the first step to empowerment. Understand that you are in an abusive relationship and take the necessary steps to get out of it.
Domestic violence can affect you mentally, physically, and emotionally. This can cause depression which will adversely affect your day to day lives. Do not stay quiet and take your stand today.
- Gather Your Support
Don’t stay quiet. Talk to your family and friends and let them know the things that are happening to you. Document your abuse, take photos videos, or any such pieces of evidence so that people understand what are the things you are going through. Take to social media and ask the mass for help. Take any measures but make sure to get out of that relationship.
- Join a Community
Speak with people who have already gone through this and allow them to lead a path through which you can distance yourself from an abuser. You can join a community like SHEROES where the organization can help out people like you and make sure that you can get yourself safe and happy
- Talk to the police and learn about your rights
Know your rights. If things escalate don’t hesitate to go to the police, they are there to protect you. Understand the rights that you have and talk to a counselor in order to support you through the process. You can use SHEROES free helpline to talk with a professional who can help you out.
- Understand Your Worth
In Domestic Violence, it can be hard to maintain your self-confidence and self-worth. But do understand that it is not your fault and its never ok to hurt someone. Go do the things that you like. Follow your dreams and keep a close connection with your support system.
What to do now?
You deserve to be treated right.No one has the right to take control of your life and abuse you for who you are. Empower yourself with your rights and make sure to get away from an abusive relationship.
Get Empowerment Against Domestic Violence. People are out there facing this on a daily basis and you are not alone. Be Strong and be positive and empower yourself with the knowledge that you can get out of such a situation. Domestic Violence is a crime and you have every right to live a happy life.
Image Courtesy: Photo by Christopher Windus on Unsplash