A Leadership Position to End the Domestic Violence Cycle

DavidChan — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:31:43 +0000

October is awareness month to help put an end to the domestic violence cycle. According to the FBI statistics, every nine seconds a woman is beaten in this country. What is less known are how high the statistics are around domestic violence against children and men, as well? In the past few months, I’ve become increasingly aware of the alarming rate at which domestic violence is growing in this country.

Through my work with Patti Austin, the 2008 Grammy award jazz vocalist, I’ve learned that domestic violence is not just an act perpetrated against a person, but a family, a neighborhood a community. Her leadership in working with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence is a model by which our nation’s leaders and people of influence should follow. Patti’s Blue Movement speaks out against this disease, helps to support the victims and encourages our nation to stand up in solidarity.

Unfortunately, the domestic violence cycle is one that all too often ends tragically. One of the perpetuators of this problem is the media. I watched with utter disbelief Larry King interview Chris Brown as if he were on a pedestal. He showed “humility?” and “remorsefulness?” and declared that “he still loves Rihanna?” How can any sane person, let alone a network buy into this type of sensationalism?

In the U.S., we treat domestic violence victims almost as if they were the cause of the problem. “She or he asked for it.” or “They deserved what they got.” We also treat the symptom, rather than the problem. In so doing, the symptom often has a tragic ending. One Midwest state reported 80 deaths attributed to domestic violence from 2002 to 2003. That’s ONE state over ONE year. Do the math … it’s staggering. Compare that with the war on terrorism. We should think again about where we spend our valuable resources. How about fixing the home front first?

One sobering report is a review of Google’s search data on trends and insights related to domestic violence. On this page it’s hard not to notice the headlines … “Broncos rookie faces domestic violence charge”, “Upshaw arrested on domestic violence charge”, “Domestic violence, child abuse, may be on the rise amid economic troubles.”

Taking a leadership position, we should work to get to the root cause before the violence begins and before it can continue. We need to recognize that the domestic violence cycle is exactly that, a cycle. It may begin at home and passed on to the young, a relationship gone south, or even a random act of “power.” However it starts the cycle needs to be broken.

I was pleased to hear the appointment of Lynn Rosenthal as the advisor to President Obama on domestic violence issues. This signals to the nation that support for the fight against domestic violence is finally coming from the top. Vice President Biden recognized the seriousness of this issue as far back as 1994, when he helped pen the Violence Against Women Act.

October may be awareness month to end the domestic violence cycle, but the cycle doesn’t begin and end in one month … it’s an every day thing.

David Chan » chris brown

A Leadership Position to End the Domestic Violence Cycle