Moving Past Violence
Have you experienced chronic violence? Chronic – meaning that you have experienced abusive acts for a period of more than six months in duration for any of the following:
Threats of physical harm have been made towards me by: (spouse, family member, other)
I have suffered acts of physical harm toward myself. Meaning I have been hit, punched, kicked, slapped or another individual has physically thrown objects to purposely hurt me.
My (spouse, partner, other) has made cutting or berating remarks towards myself which are mentally/emotionally hurtful to me, my self-esteem, self-image, self-worth, etc.
I have been subjected to sexually degrading remarks or comments
Another individual (spouse, partner, acquaintance, other) has touched my body in a sexual way without my consent.
An individual/s has purposely attempted to suppress my thoughts, ideas, values/ convictions, or beliefs. In other words, made an effort to silence my voice re: a topic/issue because they do not support that stance or strongly disagree with that view.
What Causes People to Act in a Violent Manner towards Others??
It is unfortunate, but often violence is passed down from one generation to the next. The good news is that the chains of violence can be broken if a counselor, teacher, family member, pastor or friend chooses to intervene. Often, people want to help, but fear retaliation – they fear that by reporting the abuse, they themselves will be subjected to the very abusive acts they are attempting to stop.
So, What can I do?
The first step is to shed light on the act of violence in question:
Educate yourself re: taking the proper steps to begin to reduce/stop the violence that you or others are experiencing. Call the Child Protective Services/Adult Protection agency, they can tell you which acts are reportable in your area. Calling your local community liaison officer is also helpful. Therapists, counselors, and psychologists & sometimes pastors are trained to guide you in confronting the individual/s committing violent acts towards you or others.
Call me to find out if counseling would be a viable next step to aide you in your healing process or aide you in overcoming violence in your life. Your life CAN be better.