5 ways you can help stop domestic violence

As some of you may know, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The point of this practice is to draw more attention to an issue that affects up to 70% of women and 20% of men worldwide. So if you feel like doing something to help fight this enormous problem, please consider the following ideas:

1) Educate yourself on the topic by checking out websites such as the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ncadv.org), and by reading books like “Stop Signs:Recognizing, Avoiding, and Escaping Abusive Relationships (Seal Press 2012)”. Then tell others about what you’ve learned.

2) Call 911 if you see or hear domestic violence happening. You could be saving someone’s life

3) Volunteer your time with a local domestic violence hotline, service center, or shelter

4) Donate to one of the many local or national charities that help victims of domestic violence, such as The National Network to End Domestic Violence (nnedv.org)

5) Become involved in the political and legal process by supporting and encouraging representatives who will back legislation aimed at improving domestic violence response and prevention. An easy way to do this is by donating to an organization like the Oregon Violence Against Women Political Action Committee (orvawpac.org)

Even though domestic violence may seem like an overwhelming problem for our society, please remember this: Only in unity can we accomplish the truly transformational. Thanks for reading.