The Elephant in the Closet: Understanding Violence in the Home (A Work in Progress)
Stop the violence, Break the silence
Intimate Partner Violence remains the Elephant in the Closet. Is it because the public feels helpless to assist the battered adult? There’s been significant publicity about the unwillingness of assaulted family members to report, leave, or take action to stop the violence. Perhaps that contributes to the wall of silence about the problem. Understandably so, people don’t appreciate investing time, emotion, and effort for no result. Some theories say it is a loyalty to family members, a guilt or shame about the abuse. Then there’s the idea of beauty and the beast, that if you love someone enough you can overcome the beast within. The popularity of Twilight, where a girl’s love overcomes the natural killer instincts of a vampire shows the idea is still appealing.
Visit the website for this nonfiction book/research project on violence in the home. We’re helping to break the silence about abuse. Contribute by filling out a survey. There’s surveys for survivors, caretakers, and the general public. Here’s the URL: http://bit.ly/1cTvJY
December 24, 2009
What a fascinating project this has turned out to be. Many thanks to everyone who has completed a survey or helped in so many other ways. The data is promising to offer a new idea about the effects of family violence on those involved. We still need more surveys from survivors.
