October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. Ms. Marjorie Walker with Families First has promoted the awareness for years here in Bladen County.
She has written books, worked with elected officials and civic groups to help bring awareness to the troubling issues communities face with Domestic Violence.
Ms. Walker and Families First define domestic violence as a violent or aggressive behavior within the home, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse or partner.
According to the non-profit, some Red Flags are:
Looking or acting in ways that scare you
Keeping or discouraging you from seeing friends and/or family
Taking your money or refusing to give you money for expenses
Preventing you from making your own decisions
Telling you that you are a bad parent or threatening to harm or take away your children
Preventing you from working or attending school
Blaming you for the abuse, or acting like it’s not really happening
Destroying your property or threatening to hurt or kill your pets
Intimidating you with guns, knives, or other weapons
Shoving, slapping, choking, or hitting you
Attempting to stop you from pressing charges
Threatening to commit suicide because of something you’ve done
Threatening to hurt or kill you
Abuse can come in the form of sexual assault. The term sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent of the victim.
Some forms of sexual assault include:
Attempted rape
Fondling or unwanted sexual touching
Forcing a victim to perform sexual acts such as, oral sex, or penetrating the perpetrator’s body.
Penetration of the victim’s body, also known as rape.
If you or someone you know needs assistance due to domestic violence, contact Ms. Walker at Families First, Inc. Their office is located on Broad Street in Elizabethtown. There phone number is 910-862-2534. Their 24/7 Crisis Line is 910-641-0444.
For more information about recognizing the signs of domestic violence, or how to receive assistance visit Families First’s website at, http://www.
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