As we approach a new school year, we want to highlight this egregious type of abuse and its long-lasting effects on a survivor’s future. Academic Abuse manifests as a form of coercive control that both teens and adults are vulnerable to experiencing.
Self-care, often misconstrued as a luxury, takes on a profound significance for survivors of domestic violence. It becomes a transformative act of survival, resistance, and healing. In the face of chronic stress, trauma, and isolation, survivors often find little space for their own needs. However, self-care in this context becomes revolutionary, a means to reclaim control over one’s body, boundaries, time, and voice, instilling a sense of empowerment and hope.
Immigrant survivors, like anyone, may experience a variety of forms of intimate partner violence: such as physical, emotional, sexual, financial, spiritual, threats, and coercion. However, they also face unique and compounding risks. Language barriers, lack of culturally responsive services, and unfamiliarity with U.S. legal systems make it harder to seek help. Survivors may worry they won’t be believed because they don’t speak English fluently. They may fear that leaving an abusive partner will mean losing their children, their housing, or their chance at staying in the country. Many do not know their rights, and even in moments of extreme danger, feel they must choose between silence and exposure
Mental health challenges go far beyond routine stress, and this is particularly true for survivors of domestic violence (DV). Did you know that 20% of DV survivors develop mental health conditions as a result of their trauma? In this context, Mental Health Awareness Month offers an opportunity to understand how DV impacts mental health.
When we talk about helping domestic violence survivors, it’s easy to think first about shelters, police reports, or court systems. And while those are important, they’re only part of the bigger picture. At La Casa de las Madres, we operate under the Empowerment Model, which shifts the focus: it’s all about giving survivors the power to reclaim their lives—in their own way and on their own terms.
It is a myth that domestic violence only occurs in heterosexual couples, and the victims are only female. Domestic violence is about power and control, not who you are or who you love.
During the month of June, LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) Pride Month —we’re celebrating LGBTQ survivors and working to raise awareness of domestic violence within LGBTQ relationships.
3 out of 10 people experienced increased strain in their romantic relationships during the coronavirus pandemic (Blue Shield of California 2021). Conditions were hard for everyone, but not equally. Here at La Casa, calls for help are higher than ever. On our 24-hour statewide, toll-free telephone lines, calls are trending 37% above pre-pandemic levels. On our Text Support Line, conversations have surged 200%.
What can you do? If you see something, say something. If you are worried about someone, ask. If you don’t know what to do after you ask, it’s easier than you think: listen, offer support, ask how you can help.
Physical and sexual assaults are the most apparent forms of domestic violence and the actions that are usually most evident to others. However, these forms of abuse are typically the tip of the iceberg. The Power and Control Wheel, created in 1984 by the Duluth Minnesota Domestic Abuse Intervention Project, helps to demonstrate the varied types of abuse and how they denigrate a survivor’s sense of options and agency.
It is hard to imagine that a survivor of trafficking or domestic violence may have endured abuse at the hands of a loved one, like a family member of intimate partner -- but we know that the people closest to us can manipulate bonds created by love and belonging to exert force, control, and manipulate. The intersections between domestic violence and human trafficking run deep, and it is necessary to recognize the ways these forms of violence are linked to ensure survivors are given the appropriate tools to heal, and to create a world free from complex patterns of abuse.
