The Silent Epidemic: A Teen Journalist's Investigation into Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse represents one of the widespread and devastating pandemics in terms of global public health crisis that involves the breakdown of a person’s independence not only because of physical attacks but also due to the oppressive nature of endless aspects, including emotional manipulation, economic exploitation, sexual coercion, and surveillance. Statistics show the extent of the problem around the globe; according to the World Health Organization and UN Women, nearly one in three women experiences physical and sexual assault by an intimate partner at least once in life, which makes a terrifying fact that an average of 137 females are murdered per day by a relative or someone who should be trusted, while the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reports that more than one in six men is a victim of severe domestic violence as well.

Experts in psychology and criminology stress that the widespread societal question that asks why victims simply "do not leave" is a highly damaging form of victim blaming that entirely disregards the very scary reality that attempting to leave constitutes the most violent time for victims, as abusers will often resort to any means necessary, including murder, once they sense that they have lost total control. Such threats of danger are further magnified by the psychological paralysis imposed on victims through the violent cycle—a traumatized bonding procedure where the victim becomes caught in a never-ending circle of tension build-up, abuse, and manipulation.

 As far as the collateral damage from this silent epidemic goes, the consequences are dire, imposing lifelong mental health conditions like complex PTSD, anxiety, and severe depression on the victims themselves while also having detrimental effects on the neurological development of young children exposed to the abusive environment in which they live, thus perpetuating a vicious cycle of traumatization across generations. The financial consequences on society are enormous, with the CDC putting a total lifetime cost estimate at $3.6 trillion for domestic violence-related health care expenses, law enforcement, housing, and loss of productivity.

In the end, human rights activists and legal experts believe that resolving such a deeply rooted problem would mean a paradigm change: society needs to make a drastic move to stop blaming victims and start addressing gaps within legislation concerning coercive control, punishing offenders without any excuses, investing significant money into building special shelters for victims, and educating children about the significance of proper relationship boundaries in early childhood education programs.

WRITTEN BY-

HARSIMAR