Domestic Violence Personal Narrative

Although we lost Ellen Pence, a woman who changed how domestic violence is addressed, in 2012, there are many lives that are being saved to this day because of her work. Ellen Pence found her calling in 1977 when she began working for the Minneapolis Housing Authority that helped individuals relocate with housing complications (StarTribune, 2010). It was then that she immersed herself through domestic violence cases and set the standard for addressing these cases. Ellen Pence is especially known for establishing the Duluth Program, a program that address batterers in the court systems, and Praxis Training, which are training on addressing domestic violence for law enforcement, advocates, community agencies, and institutions. Pence’s 35 years of service change the way domestic violence cases were handled, educated key players in domestic violence cases, and showed the world what it was like to be a victim of domestic abuse. Without her efforts, many individuals in power addressing these cases would be lost and those to who are victims would not be understood as they are today.

It was the summer before the start of my senior year in high school. My brother and I were out fishing at our favorite pond, savoring the freedom of being out of school for two months. It had been a great day until that night when we finally arrived back home. Now, my step-father wasn’t the kindest man, but I had always shown him respect because my mother had asked me to do so. However, this night was different. When my brother and I had walked through the front door; we could sense the tension in the air.

There I was, feeling as if the entire world was crashing on top of me. I will be the first to say that I haven’t had and worry free and easy life but I will also tell you that nothing will ever compare to that night. The sheriffs were talking but I didn’t listen. I was lost deep in my thoughts and i feared they would always consume me. As I continued to panic, I realized my little sister needed me so I hid it all and played the calm big sister I have always been. My family watched me for a few days as I lost all sense of

The first few years on a relationship, everything seems gold plated and perfect. Respecting, honoring significant others is a given, but unfortunately some feel the urge and need to claim their dominance over the relationship. Unexpected things would eventually start occurring, like physical assaults, diminished self-worth, and sometimes even child abuses are consequences of trying to dominate the members in a household. After growing up in a household where the abusive environment is dominating, people are known to develop trust issues, disturbed and unreal perceptions of reality; the solution may not always be clear, but immediate action is to be taken from the abused party or victims.

An individual who is responsible for subjecting their intimate partner to domestic violence is often controlling, manipulative, aggressive, violent, and dangerous. It is important for an individual who is experiencing any form of abuse should contact authorities to prevent any further abuse in the relationship. While the victim of domestic violence is constructing a plan for a safe escape, the victim will choose a domestic violence attorney. A domestic violence attorney is a lawyer who specializes in family law.

Domestic violence is a serious concern and should be addressed immediately. This problem is far more common than we think as it affects thousands of people a day, including children,

I would shut my eyes because I knew what was coming. And before I shut my eyes, I held my breath, like a swimmer ready to dive into a deep ocean. I could never watch when his hands came toward me; I only patiently waited for the harsh sound of the strike. I would always remember his eyes right before I closed my own: pupils wide with rage, cold, and dark eyebrows clenched with hate. When it finally came, I never knew which fist hit me first, or which blow sent me to my knees because I could not bring myself to open my eyes. They were closed because I didn’t want to see what he had promised he would never do again. In the darkness of my mind, I could escape to a paradise where he would never reach me. I would find again the haven where I

You wouldn’t know it just by looking at me, but I spent years of my life being abused by the father of my children. We married at the tender age of 15, while I was pregnant with our first child. At the time, I imagined us having a wonderful life together while raising a passel of kids. Instead, he physically and emotionally me and my children. Although I left him several times in the next few years before finally leaving in 2011, I was still often held hostage by his mind games, physical violence, and drama until the summer of 2016.

There are many different types of domestic violence. Physical abuse is the most obvious form, but this is not to say that outsiders always recognize it. Generally, physical violence causes bodily harm, using a variety of methods. Slapping, pushing, throwing, hitting, punching, and strangling are only a few methods. An object or weapon may or may not be used. There is not always physical evidence of physical abuse such as bruising, bleeding, scratches, bumps, etc., therefore, absence of physical marks does not necessarily mean physical abuse had not occurred. Physical abuse sometimes escalates to murder (Morris and Biehl 7, Haley 14-17).

Domestic violence is an ugly situation for everyone who is involved. Unfortunately, I have a relative who is a victim of Domestic Violence. In the early 1980’s she was being abused by her husband. I remember witnessing the black eyes and bruises on her arms, and when you question her about it, she will make up excuses of falling and hurting herself. A subject she would always avoid talking about and request we mind our own business. They had four children together, and the abuse seems to stop, but the children did witness some of the fights. Oldest child being a boy there was some concern that he would treat women the way his father treated his wife. He is now a grown man, who is a loving father and caring husband to his wife, and there isn’t

Ellie and I lay in our beds, neither one of us knew what to say. In the other room, our host parents were arguing. We didn’t know what about, but we knew it was serious. Then we heard a “THWACK” followed by silence. Ellie and I sat up in our beds and looked at each other, I could tell she was as scared as I was. “Was that? Did he just?” she asked me. Then the arguing started back up again. We calmed back down until we heard it again. “THWACK” We knew then, the noise we heard, was him beating her. We got up, our hearts racing; neither of us knew what to do. We got our nerves together to go get help. When we opened the door to our room we saw the children sitting on the couch crying out for their mother. I could see the fear in their face and I knew something needed to change.

Domestic Abuse is a universal dilemma of enormous proportions. Even though some men are victims but majority of the victims are women. At least one in every three women globally has expiries beaten or sexually abused or any form of abuse. The majority of abuse is from someone they may know, for instant husband or other men in the family. On the other hand one in four women has expiries pregnancy abuse.

“Every year in the United States there are over 3 million incidents of domestic violence. That means that every nine seconds a women is beaten by her domestic partner” (Findeley). There are many women that stay silent when being abuse by their partners. The consequences of staying quiet when obtaining abuse can be dangerous and can also lead to death. Many women do not recognize the importance of the fact that there is in speaking out if they are being abuse by their partner. No woman should take domestic abuse by their partners. Every woman deserves a healthy relationship; A healthy relationship involves trust, respect, and consideration for the other person. Domestic abuse has gotten worse during the past years and is still rising up. One can see that domestic abuse can occur everywhere. Domestic abuse is considered a crime and woman should not keep silent when being abuse.

There were sparks in my head, trying to connect the dots and process the information that my dad presented instead of causing a short circuit. I was not able to believe this. I do not want to leave this house. Tears flowed down my cheeks and started dripping from my chin. I stood up and ran upstairs to my room.

I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. I come from a place where over 70% of black men are raised in a fatherless home, where domestic violence is something that is a way of showing love. Drugs and alcohol are encouraged or pushed on you to do. Most of the uses are raised in the street, because they are the only men in our life that will pay us some attention.