October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Domestic violence, or domestic abuse, is a sort of blanket term that has taken on a life of its own through popular culture, media, and word-of-mouth. The West Valley Counseling Center is committed to providing the community with not only the facts regarding domestic violence, but also a contextual picture of how abusive behavior can affect our lives and the lives around us.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), one out of every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. Unfortunately, the true statistic is markedly higher, as many cases of domestic abuse go unreported or unrecognized by individuals who have become normalized to abusive behavior. The purpose of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month is to advocate continued support of domestic support survivors and to urge those in abusive relationships to seek the help and resources they need.

Domestic violence runs rampant when we remain silent. It is through communication and a strong commitment towards providing safe environments for victims that we can reduce not only the physical and psychological damage to victims, but to their friends, families, and children. Furthermore, domestic abuse that may involve one person should be handled delicately and swiftly, so that other family members are not put at increased risk. Above all, remember that compassion towards the victim is key when dealing with domestic violence. Conditional support such as: “I won’t be your friend unless you break up with that person” can often backfire, making victims feel isolated and fearful. This can even result in victims clinging to their abusers even harder, for support. If you ever feel that a friend or loved one is unsafe or in an abusive relationship, in any form, please contact the National Domestic Violence at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE).

West Valley Counseling Center offers therapeutic services for survivors of domestic abuse, as well as anger management classes. For more information or to speak to one of our staff at the West Valley Counseling Center, please contact us at (818) 758-9450 or email us at info@westvalleycounseling.org

West Valley Counseling Center offers therapeutic services for survivors of domestic abuse, as well as anger management classes throughout Southern California. For more information or to speak to one of our staff at the West Valley Counseling Center, please contact us at (818) 758-9450 or email us at info@westvalleycounseling.org

Sources:

http://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence

http://www.thehotline.org/

http://nnedv.org/getinvolved/dvam.html

For more information or to speak to one of our staff, please contact us at (818) 758-9450 or email us at info@westvalleycounseling.org