Domestic Violence: A message from one of our own...

From our very own Visual Art teacher, Michelle Fairchild:

Once upon a time, domestic violence statistics meant absolutely nothing to me.
I tuned out news stories about husbands shooting wives in Walmart parking lots. I turned a deaf ear to 1 in 3 women will be victims of domestic violence in her lifetime. That never happened to people I knew….

Until it happened to me and I was strangled and left for dead in an act of domestic violence.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Just how aware are YOU? What can YOU do to make a difference?

I challenge you to put your daughter’s face on these statistics. What about the young women (and men) sitting in your classroom? Your sister? The lady leading the choir? The teacher across the hall? Domestic violence has no boundaries and it doesn’t apply to certain groups of people. It affects everyone.

• 1 in 3 women will be a victim of violence in her lifetime.
• 1 in 3 adolescent GIRLS will be victims of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner.
• More than 3 million children witness domestic violence in their homes every year. What choices will these children make as they develop their own romantic relationships?
• Children who live in homes where there is domestic violence also suffer abuse or neglect at high rates (30% to 60%).
• Children exposed to domestic violence at home are more likely to have health problems, including becoming sick more often, having frequent headaches or stomachaches, and being more tired and lethargic.
• Young people aged 12-19, experience the highest rate of rape and sexual assault.
• 50% of youth reporting dating violence and rape also reported attempting suicide. This is compared to 12.5% of non-abused girls and 5.4% of non-abused

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. Be aware. Be educated. Look for red flags.

Don’t wait for someone else to make a difference. Let it be you.

The first line of defense is education. A boyfriend or girlfriend calling to check each and every move is not healthy. A boyfriend or girlfriend hitting a locker out of anger is not healthy. Both are warning signs of abuse, however, teenagers, teachers, and many parents do not have that background education! 

If you notice couples interacting in unhealthy ways-do something. Speak up! www.loveisnotabuse.com is a site dedicated to the education of teenagers on the sticky subject of dating violence. There are action steps listed as well.

Everyone deserves a healthy relationship safe from violence and fear. Protect your teens from an abusive situation by learning these warning signs. 

SIGNS OF DATING ABUSE: 

Your teen may be experiencing patterns of an unhealthy relationship if:

Your Teen:

• Apologizes and/or makes excuses for his/her partner's behavior.
• Loses interest in activities that he/she used to enjoy.
• Stops seeing friends and family members and becomes more and more isolated.
• Casually mentions the partner's violent behavior, but laughs it off as a joke.
• Often has unexplained injuries or the explanations often don't make sense.

The Partner:

• Calls your teen names and puts him/her down in front of others.
• Acts extremely jealous of others who pay attention to your teen.
• Thinks or tells your teen that you, the parent(s), don't like them.
• Controls your teen's behavior, checking up constantly, calling or texting, and demanding to know who he/she has been with.
• Violently strikes objects or breaks things.

Thank you, Mrs. Fairchild, for sharing this VERY important message to us all.