It doesn’t matter if you're rich or poor, gay or straight, fat or thin—the truth is the horror of domestic violence is pervasive across all communities. Laura and Johnnie discover some terrifying statistics in today’s episode about the frequency and prevalence of these perverse and sadistic behaviors, which occur more often than you might think in intimate relationships.
To explain exactly what domestic violence and intimate partner violence are, we’ve invited top therapist and crisis counselor Vivian Engle, MA, MFT to join us today from Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles Hope Counseling. Jewish Family Service of LA is one of many organizations dedicated to empowering and sheltering survivors and victims of domestic violence and their children.
Accompanying her to the studio is one survivor who shares her shocking story of living through hell on earth in an abusive marriage. She reveals the arduous road she had to take to get out of her marriage, and tells us how she’s managing to co-parent with her abuser. In addition to Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles, we also list and provide contact information for a variety of other organizations in states across the country that are dedicated to serving and protecting victims and survivors of domestic violence. These include the LGBT Centers in Los Angeles and other cities across the country which provide services for survivors who do not identify as heterosexual. Abuse is abuse in any relationship. Abusive partners in #LGBTQ relationships use all the same tactics to gain power and control—physical, sexual or emotional abuse, financial control, isolation and more. For more information and for a national directory of domestic violence support services, please visit The National Domestic Violence Hotline online @ www.thehotline.org or call 1.800.799.7233
Show Notes Below:
We discuss Supergirl actress Melissa Benoist brush with domestic violence and the following news stories:
- Married People Have Happier, Healthier Relationships Than Unmarried Couples Who Live Together, Data Shows
- They may be happier, but women in marriages report greater levels of satisfactions with their sex lives than men.
- Study of 6000 Couples Reveals A Truth About Money In A Relationship.
- Men feel stressed if their female partners earn more than 40% of household income
- Connection between Stress and Intimate Partner/Domestic Violence
- Domestic Violence is three times more likely to occur when couples are experiencing high levels of financial strain.
- However, economic stress does not cause domestic violence.
- The need for an abuser to exert power and control over another person causes domestic violence.
- SUPERGIRL MELISSA BENOIST STORY
- Trending Hashtag on Twitter #IStandWithMelissa and a challenge from her husband Supergirl co-star Chris Wood (2nd husband of just a few months, whom she wed over this year’s Labor Day weekend) supports wife following domestic violence revelation.) who plays Mon-El on the CW superhero series Supergirl.
- On Thanksgiving he tweeted “I’m going to kiss my wife and hold her tenderly. All day. And every day. How do YOU show love?”
- Many supporters have included in their own tweets writing: “Happy Thanksgiving!
- Note: she was previously married to Glee co-star Blake Jenner from 2015 until 2016.
- ADDITIONAL DV STATS:
- According to the National Coalition against Domestic Violence, an act of domestic violence occurs every 15 seconds in the USA with four women losing their lives daily.
- USA Today says that on average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the USA.
For more on the topic of domestic violence, please read the article written by Laura Wasser "Domestic Violence & The Power of the Allegation"
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