Have you ever met or known someone who is a victim of Domestic Violence? It is way more common then you probably think. A statistic from ‘The National Domestic Violence Hotline’ says, “On average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States — more than 12 million women and men over the course of a year.” This shows in particular how much of a world wide issue this it, and how often it really does occur.

People who may not be very familiar with the term ‘domestic violence’ might even confuse it with abuse or assault. As though the terms are very similar, they are different. Domestic Violence is violence or abuse by one person against another, but is in a domestic situation such as a marriage or relationship. Domestic Violence has become a progressive issue in today's society. Domestic Violence can occur to either men or women, and can happen anywhere. A statistic from domestic violence articles, states that “ Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women—more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined”. This is evidence to show just how much this act of violence is progressing in the US, and how many men and women around the world this is effecting. Domestic Violence may not only impact the people involved, but also could impact those around. If this Violence happens in a household with children, this is now impacting the lives of their children.

There have been so many times where women and their children or men and their children are seeking shelter after these violent acts. There are many places around the world for these people to go to who are seeking help. In many situations you find families not knowing what to do in order to get back on their feet after this traumatic experience. Domestic Violence is an on going problem that is often times overlooked, or not spoken about. Most cases it seems, women or men feel guilted and do not want to share what happened to them. There are hotlines for these victims, along with places for them to go to in order to receive help. All though there are these shelters, how many victims actually use them? A statistic from Baker C Cook, states “ Thirty-eight percent of all domestic violence victims become homeless at some point in their lives.” This shows even though there are these shelters, the victims are either choosing not to go to them, or they feel like they can't. This statistic not only shows this, but also shows that this is increasing the homeless rate too. This does not just leave the adults homeless or hurt, but also the children. Research shows that “women in between ages 19 and 65 were interviewed for domestic violence outcomes. In regards to the impact this violence had on the children, the study resulted in saying that domestic violence influences them negatively and imposes negative growth on the children who have been directly or indirectly involved with abuse or been in violent situations.” These crimes are effecting so many people in so many ways, and effecting the stats on homelessness and violence victims.
Deterring domestic violence and responding legally to this violence is not as easy as it may seem. An article from an ‘HR Specialist: Employment Law’ discusses violence in the workplace, and it talks about when violence goes from a personal and private problem to a workplace or employment law problem. The article also covers different perceptions on workplace violence, and the different areas that can be abused. These areas include relationship abuse, sexual assault, discrimination, assault, or stalking. It also goes into saying that not all violence is domestic, it oftentimes comes to the workplace as lost productivity, employee depression, or something such as an increase in price for health costs. Deterring this issue is complicated, but there have been laws following with harsh punishments if this type of violence is to occur and be reported. Responding legally and compassionately is the important part because if this situation is not taken care of correctly it may not end efficiently.

The main points and idea that this paper is intended for people to understand is that domestic violence is a serious topic and can happen to anyone. It is important to understand how important it is to report this violence to someone who is trusted or to someone who can help. Domestic Violence is a reoccurring Violence to someone particularly in a relationship of family, but could really be to anyone. This is an important problem that unfortunately never may go away completely, but it's good to know that help is offered and there is always a place to go for help.

After researching this topic, it has become obvious that there are so many social changes that could be helpful for this topic. For this topic, the social change that can be made is to create an anonymous drop box and locate it in the school. This Dropbox is for students or teachers to drop in what's going on in their lives that they want help with it need advice. Someone will respond to their issue with advice and help. It is anonymous from any other student, and the person writing back the help doesn't know which student their helping. Another social change that could be made is an anonymous tip line created for people to be able to call and report what's happening in their lives and be given back helpful advice. Most cases people are afraid to report the violence due to guilt or embarrassment, this way is helpful because it is completely anonymous and very helpful. This social change should increase the reports of violence, so that it can be take care of if need be.