Domestic violence awareness month Published Oct. 8, 2013 By Glenn T. Garcia Family advocacy outreach manager F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- The United States Air Force and Global Strike Command promote the prevention of domestic and interpersonal violence for military members and their families. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centers for Injury Prevention and Control, each year, millions of adults are injured in relationships due to some form of partner violence. Although the majority of these victims are female, an increasing number of males are beginning to step forward and identify themselves as victims of domestic violence. At F.E. Warren, a worrisome trend is developing where young, married, military couples are resorting to physical violence instead of developing healthy and effective communication skills. At the heart of this violence is social media or gaming systems as one partner is spending an inordinate amount of time immersed in the activity. On average, young adults are spending an average of six hours per day involved in some form of technology or social media. This is time spent isolated from their partner or family, which can cause jealousy or resentment. According to a study domestic and interpersonal violence are considered the most common unreported crimes in America. With all the deployment and economic challenges military families are currently facing, there is a fear that the rates could dramatically increase. Domestic or interpersonal violence is the mistreatment of a man or woman by his or her spouse or partner. The violence can be physical (pushing, punching, slapping), emotional (threats, harassment, verbal abuse) or sexual (rape). The mistreatment usually follows a pattern commonly known as the "cycle of violence". A typical incident of violence involves three stages. The first stage is the tension building phase. In this phase, one partner may become angry over small irritations, such as quarrels about finances, social media or gaming. The victims "offenses" may be real or imagined by the partner. The violence occurs in the second stage. During this stage, one partner's anger erupts into abusive behavior. The attack usually occurs in the evening or at night, generally without witnesses. Children may be at home and even though they may not directly witness the violence, they are directly impacted by the sounds of violence and abuse. Once the attack starts, there is usually nothing the victim can do to stop it. In the final stage, there is a period of seduction, where the partner or spouse is apologetic for his or her actions and offers assurances that it will not happen again, giving a false sense of hope that things will be different. The abusive spouse is often very loving, calm and attentive when in the seduction phase and will promise to get help or seek counseling. Victims of partner violence first have to decide that they are no longer going to be abused. They must then understand that no one deserves to be abused for any reason. After this realization, the victim has two choices. The first choice is to do nothing and let things continue, as they are, in which case the abuse is likely to become more frequent and more severe. The second choice is to report the abuse and seek help and support. To seek help on this base, contact the Family Advocacy Program at 307-773-4228. The family advocacy office will provide an array of programs and services to help eliminate the violence or provide guidance and support for spouses or partners who want to be safe or learn how to recognize unhealthy patterns of behavior that may result in abuse. The Family Advocacy Program is partnering with the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator and the Victim Witness Program to provide a variety of events on base to raise awareness about domestic violence. Check the Sentinel or the displays around base for time and location of the events taking place in October. Domestic Violence Facts Half of all marriages involve at least one episode of violence between spouses - 10 things Every Social Worker Needs to Know About Domestic Violence by Mark Sandel 15 to 18 million spouses are repeatedly abused, many suffering serious physical harm - National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence Responding to domestic violence calls are a leading cause of police killings - according to a study between 1996 to 2009 by Ellie Bogue of The News-Sentinel The majority of juvenile delinquents come from families experiencing domestic violence - From a study by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention