1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men are victims of Domestic Violence. Knowing the signs can lead to a call for help and receive healing for victims. Individuals in these circumstances may be living in an abusive relationship:
• Are you frightened at times by your partner’s behavior or afraid to disagree with
your partner?
• Do you often apologize for your partner’s behavior, especially when you are
treated badly or verbally degraded by your partner?
• Are you discouraged from seeing friends or family due to your partner’s jealousy?
• Have you been shoved, thrown down, strangled, or had things thrown at you?
• Are you not allowed to make decisions on your own?
The following website contains articles from the American Magazine specific to one
person’s encounter with a victim of domestic violence.
https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/10/05/caring-most-vulnerableundocumented-women-abusive-relationships
If an abusive situation is revealed:
• Listen, Believe and Refer. Remember, abuse is not God’s will. Let them know that
without intervention, abuse often escalates in frequency and severity over time.
• Help is available 24/7 at the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE
(7233) or at www.ndvh.org.
• If they are in immediate danger, call 911.
• For more information: Contact our Ministry Coordinator Terry Apple at
Resources:
• To learn more about the Catholic Response to Domestic Violence; visit the U.S.
Bishop’s website for their letter, When I Call for Help: A Pastoral Response to
Domestic Violence Against Women