“BREAK THE SILENCE = NO MORE VIOLENCE”
Looking up the numbers of domestic violence victims just in the state of Colorado in the last year is astounding. There were 5,601 women and children sheltered, for a total of 87,722 nights. That is a vast majority of women and children in only one state. The scariest part of this statistic is that there were 5,886 individuals that were turned away. Imagine that being your daughter, grandchild, friend, sister, or even mother. It looks different to the people who were first or second hand victims.
In my own experience with DV, I have found that people will turn their heads and not get involved for lack of knowledge. I asked a man for help one scary night, only to use his phone. He replied with these six words that beat in my head for many years after “I don’t want to get involved.” If you can imagine the fear I had, as I ran from my boyfriend of four years. It was dark, and the world was lonely for me at that moment. We had been out with friends from work, and the abuse happened in front of my co-workers whom turned their heads as I landed over a chair and on the floor.
People always question why I stayed, and usually don’t understand the fear and the planning that is put into leaving. I want you to first understand that we were both executives at our company, and I could not lose my job, because I was a single mom. I by the grace of GOD had a good paying job. How could I loose that with mouths that I had to feed. I did try several times to leave him, change my number, but he found out anything that was ever needed for him to find. I had to stay one step ahead of him, but that was not enough. He and I shared an office, and he would threaten me in the hallways, and I did live in fear.....and Yes, I did give into that. I asked myself was I ready to leave, was I ready for his wrath, was I ready to be three or four steps ahead him? Unless you are in that situation, you may not understand. I only ask that you open up your hearts and your minds and give a hand to someone in need.
