Abuse

Recently, my Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing class had a discussion on abuse and its implications for human beings everywhere. I wanted to put some facts out there for people as well as some resources to help those suffering from abuse of all types: physical, emotional, neglect, and sexual.

1. Abuse crosses all barriers - gender, race, religion, socio-economic status, education. Men get abused too.

2. There is a cycle of violence. It begins with tension building, moves to the actual abuse, and then the "honeymoon" phase, where the victimizer apologizes and is extremely tender and loving toward the victim. These cycles always repeat themselves, and they always get shorter. LOVING THE VICTIMIZER IS NOT ENOUGH TO STOP THE VIOLENCE.

3. Emotional abuse is the attempt to isolate, threaten, or intimidate a person.

4. Neglect is a breach in duty of care which causes harm to others.

5. Sexual abuse is ANY unwanted sexual contact. This is regardless of whether two people are strangers, acquaintances, dating couples, OR married couples. Rape is a crime related to domination, not passion.

6. Every 15 seconds, someone is battered. Every 6.4 minutes, a sexual assault takes place. Every year, 60,000 Utah women are assaulted by their intimate partner. 28% end of these assaults end in homicide. 1 in 3 people will be abused at some point in their life. 6 million American women are beaten each year. Violence occurs on a regular basis in 10% of marriages.

7. It is estimated that over half of all violence is not reported.

8. Abuse is not the victims fault - ever. No one deserves to be treated in such a manner.

If you or someone you know is suffering from any type of abuse, please know that there is help. Your life does not have to be like this. Things can improve. Please, please, please give yourself a chance. Call a national abuse hotline at either 1.800.897.LINK or 1.800.656.HOPE