Abuse is an issue often whispered about in corners, or hidden behind through romantic movies and music. Depicted as the new normal, very few stand against it. This month we step out out of the shadows and we shine light on this topic that often leav...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
What Is Abuse?
Abuse is defined as any action that intentionally harms or injures another person. Abuse also encompasses inappropriate use of any substance, especially those that alter consciousness (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamines).
We live in a society were more than half the population has experienced some form of abuse in their lifetime and most of the time the victims don't even know they have been abused. This has stemmed from society that has allowed many forms of abuse to become social norms. At 20 4/5 of my friends have experienced at least one form of abuse and it was never reported or had anyone take accountability for it. With shame and silence it has been swept under the rug, never talked about and never addressed and this month we want to step out from the shadows and speak out about abuse and the effects it has on all of us.
Like everything else abuse starts at home and Domestic abuse:
Will affect 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men in their lifetimeLeads to, on average, two women being murdered each week and 30 men per yearAccounts for 16% of all violent crime (Source: Crime in England and Wales 04/05 report), however it is still the violent crime least likely to be reported to the policeHas more repeat victims than any other crime (on average there will have been 35 assaults before a victim calls the police)Is the single most quoted reason for becoming homeless (Shelter, 2002). There are currently over 57,000 children identified as needing protection from abuse
