It's one of those things that we know goes on, we know it affects millions of lives every year, and we know that something needs to be done. It's Domestic Violence and it happens everyday, in every community, and in all walks of life. The topic is still whispered in corners and gossiped about with girlfriends over a bottle of wine, that needs to change. It seems to make no sense that we are afraid to talk about an issue that happens to so many people. There are many ways that domestic violence can be confronted but the mother of revolution has always been knowledge.
Know You Opponent
In order to combat something as profound as domestic violence, first you must understand the statistics and the facts . In knowing this information, you know what it is you are fighting against. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, you probably know someone whose a victim and you don't even know it.
- 20 people per minute, or 10 million a year, become victims of domestic abuse
- Domestic abuse is an umbrella term for more than just violence: it can be physical, sexual, mental, economic/financial
- Women between the ages of 18 and 24 are most at risk to being victims of domestic violence
- 1 in 3 women and 1 in 20 men are murdered by an intimate partner
- In 72% of murder- suicides are committed by intimate partners- 94% of murder suicide victims are women
- Only about 1/3 of the victims of domestic violence ever go seek treatment for their injuries
- Women with disabilities are 40% more likely to be abuse in their lifetimes
- Domestic violence has no age limit, it affects everyone, of all ages
As I sit here and write this, I realize that the education of young women is only going to carry this initiative so far.
In order to reach the root of the issue, we must educate our Young Men on a different way of thinking. If we can teach our young men different views, they will carry those views to enact change.
5 fundamental ideas we can teach or young men
Evidently, something different needs to happen to bring about enough ripples in the water for change.
In this situation, a good assumption can be made that by instilling different morals in our young men and boys, those morals carry on throughout life. These are five important lessons our young men and boys need to learn to help combat this unnecessary evil.
- We must show our young men that it is possible to be both strong and sensitive, masculine and emotional
- They must know that they have the power to choose to change their world in a positive way through acceptance and appreciation for everyone. Learning acceptance and appreciation as a young kid goes a long way.
- They have to know that any sort of violence or degradation towards women is just wrong, regardless of what it is.
- Tap into their true sense of rebellion and challenge them to question everything that may be questionable towards women. Teach them to think for themselves and question stories, jokes, behavior, and cultural stereotypes that perpetuate the issue.
- And teach them to listen to women and respect their thoughts, feelings, and point of view. If young men understood a little more what it was like to be a girl, they may think twice before they do and say certain things.
It is the age old idea that any sort of change starts with our children. Teach them right from the beginning to love, respect, accept, and appreciate everyone.