There are many things my daughter has learned from my husband. She knows how to balance on his feet while he twirls her around a dance floor. She has been learned the joy of an absolute yes, and how to take a no. She has learned the beauty of wide open spaces and that her beauty is both inside and out. There are a great many things he has left to teach her. He will teach her to tie her shoes. To swing higher and faster on the swing. She will learn the name of all 29 teams in the NBA and how to shoot a free throw. From him, she will learn what it means to have someone save the day and be her hero.
One of the most important lessons he will ever teach her is in the way he loves her mother. In the way he honors me with respect and love and a generous portion of public displays of affection. Because, like all the little girls, the odds are good that one day she will fall in the love with a man who treats her much the way her father treated her mother. For good or bad. Research indicates that females exposed to domestic violence as children are more likely to be victims. On the flip side of that coin, males who are exposed to domestic violence as children are more likely to engage in domestic violence (Brown & Bzostek, 2003).
But domestic violence is not a ‘he’ or ‘she’ issue, it’s a ‘we’ issue. Women can be victims of domestic violence. Men can be victims of domestic violence. It’s both our responsibility to be the solution.
As women we can create an environment where our daughters, our sisters and our friends feel safe and comfortable discussing domestic violence. Men can take a leadership role among their peers and young men to say that domestic violence is never okay. Together we can serve as role models for sons and daughters and teach them how to practice healthy relationship habits early in life. Domestic Violence is a discussion that deserves representation for both sexes because no matter what side of the coin you’re on, no one is immune to it’s affects.
Blue Shield of California Foundation, one of the state’s largest philanthropies, is committed to combatting domestic violence through funding and public awareness. Its new #BeTheSolution campaign is spreading the message that domestic violence is everyone’s issue to tackle, all of the time—not just those who are actively experiencing or perpetrating it, and not just when an incident like the recent NFL scandal brings it to the public’s attention in a big way. Blue Shield of California Foundation believes that each of us can play a role in identifying, addressing, and stopping domestic violence in our personal lives and in our communities. Upload your own #BeTheSolution photo.
How will you #BeTheSolution?
This post is written on behalf of Blue Shield of California Foundation by me. All opinions are 100% mine.
Such great points to think about. Definitely mindful of what we’re teaching our kids
What an amazing post on domestic violence. It is so important that we give honor and respect to each other and teach this to our kids by example. It is sad when this is taken advantage of. Thanks for sharing.
With so many types of domestic violence (physical, mental, verbal) it is nice to know their are programs out there trying to make a difference and educate people.
I donate time and money to our local domestic violence shelter. I can’t work with the people because my training is not in the right area, but I do admin work for them from time to time (much less since we moved in the country, which I miss). The kids… the kids are so affected (when there are kids in the family too), and I feel for the whole family.
Thank you for writing about this. Domestic Violence is SUCH a terrible and real problem. My heart breaks when I think of the women that are scared, and alone, with no help.