October 20 - Tell a gal pal... about domestic violence!

Millions are affected by it. Few talk about it. You can change that.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Domestic Violence — a term most often linked to physical and psychological abuse — affects nearly one in four women in their lifetimes according to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control; however tens of thousands of women each year are victims of an equally devastating situation — economic abuse.

It’s a tactic commonly used by abusers to stop their victims from leaving harmful situations by blocking access to money or other financial resources. It takes on many forms from controlling a victim’s pay checks to not allowing a victim to work.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, evidence has shown that women with financial skills have an increased chance of leaving an abusive situation and sustaining themselves and their families on a long-term basis.

The Allstate Foundation created the Economics Against Abuse program in partnership with the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) to spread awareness of domestic and economic abuse and empower survivors to lead financially independent lives. You can help by encouraging women and men to talk openly about domestic violence.

Domestic violence is a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors that one partner uses against a current or former intimate partner. It occurs in intimate relationships where the perpetrator and the victim are currently or previously have been dating, living together, married or divorced. They might have children in common or not.

Domestic violence is purposeful behavior. A batterer’s pattern of abusive acts is directed at achieving compliance and control over the victim. Tactics that work to control the victim are selectively chosen by the batterer. This power permeates every aspect of the victim’s life. Victims of domestic violence come from all walks of life, are predominantly female and are likely to take the blame for the battering or feel responsible.

Perpetrators of domestic violence also come from all walks of life, have the capacity to be very charming, move quickly into relationships and have a need for power and control and use both charm and assault behaviors to gain control.

Methods of power and control include:

• Isolation
• Verbal abuse & threats
• Destruction of property
• Physical battering
• Sexual abuse and coercion
• Stalking
• Financial control

The effects of domestic violence can last a lifetime.  Physical injuries are just one part of power and control.

• The average divorce involving domestic violence can last 2-4 years.
• The financial impact can last for 10-20 years while the survivor works to repair or build credit, build assets and secure housing, childcare and transportation.
• The emotional impact last a lifetime.

Leaving is not easy. It involves many internal and external factors. Internal factors include: maintaining a household, religion, children’s relationships, feeling responsible for a partner’s welfare, love and fear.  External factors are often economic in nature and include: lack of money, lack of housing, lack of employment, community pressures and lack of support from criminal justice agencies.

A complex combination of psychological, cultural, religious, familial and economic factors contribute to a victim’s decision to remain in or leave an abusive relationship. Behind fear, domestic violence victims frequently cite income, employment and financial stability as the strongest, most immediate deterrents to leaving abusive situations. The devastation of leaving a home, income, benefits and economic security behind are scenarios that all victims of domestic violence must overcome, regardless of their education, job skills and personal earning potential, if they are to care for their families and live more safe and secure lives.

The struggles of victims and survivors of domestic violence for economic empowerment reverberate throughout every community in this nation. Survivors and current victims of domestic violence are over-represented in the welfare population and many women and children are homeless because of domestic violence.  However, leaving an abusive situation often increases risk:

• Batterers escalate in their assaultive and coercive behaviors when the victim is trying to separate. 
• The majority of homicides occur when the victim has left the abuser or is attempting to leave. 
• The risk of being assaulted or stalked at the workplace increases as this may be the one place the batterer knows where to find the victim.

Help is available 24 hours a day by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline telephone number at 1–800–799–SAFE (7233). (Or call the hotline's TTY number at 1–800–787–3224.)

Get Involved:

Allstate will donate $1 to the National Network to End Domestic Violence if you click "like" on our fan page and another $1 if you take a pledge to talk openly about domestic violence.  Survivors of domestic violence and economic abuse need targeted tools and strategies to help them deal with their financial struggles and plan for safe, secure futures; however, there is a significant gap in resources for programs designed to assist survivors with the economic challenges they face. The Allstate Foundation is taking action to not only spread awareness about this important issue, but also to directly empower those touched by domestic and economic abuse.


Donate to the Education and Job Training Assistance Fund.

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Sources:  http://www.clicktoempower.org/