Nearly four million women each year suffer from physical, sexual, emotional, and verbal abuse in the United States. The American Psychological Association's report on Violence and the Family found that an estimated 4,000,000 American women experience a serious assault by an intimate partner during an average 12-month period. It is believed that only one in ten battered women report their abuse.
It is believed to be the most common, yet unreported crime in the nation.
Domestic abuse is not limited to women within a marriage, but can be in a dating or live-in relationship as well. Children, whether they directly witness the abuse or not, are affected by it.
These women want the abuse to stop and many times they wish they could leave, but because of financial security, many of them believe it is safer to stay than leave. In reality, national statistics do indicate that the most life-threatning time in the cycle of violence is when the woman attempts to leave the situation. Therefore, many of the women choose to endure the suffering until they are faced with the reality that the abuse affects their children, also. Statistics indicate that children who live in homes where domestic violence occurs are 1,500 percent more likely to be abused themselves. Even if they do not suffer the abuse first-hand, growing up in an environment of uncertainty and fear affects their abilities to perform at school, their abilities to form positive relationships, and their feelings of self-worth. There is strong evidence that males raised in an abusive home are much more likely to be abusive as adults, and 80-90 percent of males in prison for committing violent crimes were either abused or witnessed domestic violence as children.
According to the Domestic Violence Awareness Project, domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors which include physical, sexual, and psychological attacks and often economic coercion.
October has, for many years, been designated Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Malden's BRAVE Center wants to help spread the word about domestic violence. Senior Victim Advocate Syreeta Barns explains that the facility provides seven rooms for survivors of domestic violence from throughout the country to carve out a temporary residence. Several rooms are furnished with bunks for families to live in and several individual rooms. A communal kitchen and two communal living spaces are provided at the facility.
While a survivor is spending up to 90 days at the facility, they are provided with emergency shelter, clothing, personal supplies, food, support groups, life skill classes, transportation, and assistance with housing and job searches. Court advocacy programs are also available. These include safety planning and assistance with filing personal protection orders.
BRAVE can steer survivors toward the Missouri Crime Victims Compensation Program and the Missouri Victim Automated Notification System.
If you or someone you know has experienced domestic violence and is need of help, call the BRAVE hotline at (866) 863-7628 or the 24 hour National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. It is recommended to call from a pay phone or prepaid cell phone.