Domestic Violence By: Richa Patel

What is Domestic Violence? Domestic Violence is the harmful behavior that is done in a home to a partner or spouse. There are many different types of Domestic Violence: Psychological Violence, Physical and Emotional Violence, and Sexual Violence. It is also important to note that this is an issue that is effecting everyone in the world and all different types of people(race, gender, etc).

Statistics on Domestic Violence Nearly 1 in 5 teenage girls has said that their boyfriend has threatened them in one way or another if they tried to break up with them. Nearly 55% to 95% of woman have not asked for any help when they were being abused. It is the leading cause of death for women from the ages 15-44. According to United Nations, more than 140 million girls and woman around the world have been through some form of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

Works of Mercy One Work of Mercy that relates to Domestic Violence is to visit the sick. The people who are in a Domestic Violence are not who they are, they are afraid and don’t know how to get out of their situations. I think it is important to be able to see who is in trouble and then be able to help them because they are too afraid to do it themselves. A lot of the people who are in an abusive relationship are afraid to speak up because they are afraid that something worse will happen to them if they say something. It is our duty to also speak out about the issue of domestic violence so we can help those who are in those relationships. Another Work of Mercy is to shelter the homeless. The survivors of domestic violence have been able to get out of the situations but a lot of them have to start their life over both mentally and physically. It is important to help those people out by donating items or just visiting them to help them see that they made the right decision and that they will get a better life out of this.

Pope Francis’s View on Integral Ecology The Pope’s view on Integral Ecology is that he believes that everything is connected. He also talks about how there are many new issues that are appearing and how everyone has to come together to help solve those problems

Pope Francis’s Views on Domestic Violence The Pope believes that domestic violence especially with woman should be brought down and declared wrong. He believes that woman are made by God and that people should appreciate God’s creation. The Pope also talked about how woman are just as involved as men in the Church and that they should be able to get more pastoral responsibilities.

US Bishops The Catholic Bishops of the United States had decided and spoke out about the issue of domestic violence and how they are against it and how they are going to support those who were in domestic violence and try to help them get out of their situations and make their life better. The Bishops has talked about all that they want to do in their statement called, When I Call for Help: A Pastoral Response to Domestic Violence Against Women. This statement talked about information and facts about domestic violence, addresses directly to people who are abused and those who are abusing other, and talks about solutions.

Domestic Violence in the Sports World More and more instances have came up about domestic violence in the sport’s world especially in the NFL. The NFL is also trying to show that it is wrong and that they are trying to come up with regulations in regards to the issues of Domestic Violence.

My View on Domestic Violence I believe that Domestic Violence is an issue that is getting bigger and bigger and is also a worldwide issue. Domestic Violence I believe is not right because people try and commit to each other as equals and for one person to try and control another person’s life is wrong. Also, I believe that all people should care for one another and not try to bring down others. Violence is wrong because we were all made by God and to harm God’s creation is like trying to hurt God. Relationships are supposed to be made to bring out the better in people, not to bring out fear and harm to people. There are many things that we can do to help those who are in abusive relationships. One way, is that if we know of someone in an abusive relationship then we can get them help. Also, we can share more about domestic violence and help bring more awareness to people.

Signs of Knowing You are in an Abusive Relationship Being called names and being threatened Being told who you can only see and at what times of the day Showing that the abuse is your fault and that you are to be blamed for it. Controlling where your money goes and how to use it

Signs to Know if Someone Else is in an Abusive Relationship Having injuries on their body Then trying to hide those injuries with makeup or clothes Making excuses when asked about the injuries like “I fell down the stairs” Can’t really get out as much as they used to

Solutions Call the National Domestic Hotline- 1-800-799-7233 Talk to someone you trust or a religious supervisor Can call the police Tell a doctor or nurse Can also call the National Network to End Domestic Violence- 1-202-543-5566

Works Cited http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/tc/domestic-violence-signs-of-domestic-violence http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/domviol/what.htm http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-mutilation-idUSKBN0LB0JM20150207 http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/marriage/domestic-violence/index.cfm?refresh=1