F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- Every year, the United States Air Force, the Defense Health Agency and Global Strike Command promote the prevention of domestic violence for military members and their families. Each year, millions of adults are injured in relationships due to domestic and intimate partner violence. Although the majority of these victims are female, an increasing number of males and same sex marriage partners are beginning to step forward and identify themselves as victims of interpersonal violence. At F. E. Warren, a worrisome trend is developing whereby young married military couples are resorting to relationship violence instead of developing healthy and effective communication skills. If this is occurring in your marriage or relationship, help and support are readily available to reduce violence and improve relationship satisfaction.
Domestic violence is considered to be the most common unreported crime in America today. Also, with all the economic challenges families are currently facing, there is a fear that the rates could dramatically increase.
Authorities estimate:
· Only one in ten episodes of domestic violence is reported to police or security forces
· Half of all marriages involve at least one episode of violence between spouses.
· 15-28 million spouses are repeatedly abused, many suffering serious physical harm.
· Responding to domestic violence calls are a leading cause of police killings.
· The majority of juvenile delinquents come from families experiencing domestic violence.
Domestic violence is the mistreatment of a man or woman by his or her spouse. Domestic violence can be physical (pushing, punching, slapping), emotional (threats, harassment, verbal abuse) and 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 phase. In this phase, the abuser may become angry over small irritations, such as quarrels about television, food or money. The victims “offenses” may be real or imagined by the abuser. The violence occurs in the second stage. During this stage, the abuser’s anger erupts into abusive behavior. 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 abuser is apologetic for his/her actions and offers assurances that it will not happen again-giving a false sense of hope that things will be different. The abuser is often very loving, calm and attentive when remorseful.
Victims of domestic 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 seek help and support. To seek help at F. E. Warren AFB, contact the Family Advocacy Program at 773-4228. The Family Advocacy Program will provide an array of programs and services to help eliminate the violence or provide guidance and support for spouses/partners who want to “be safe” or learn how to recognize unhealthy patterns of behavior that may end in abuse. Family Advocacy is also able to provide safety screenings and safety assessments to identify abuse or destructive patterns of behavior.
Click here for a flyer of support resources for Domestic Abuse Survivors
Critical Resources and Support:
Family Advocacy Program: 307-773-2998
Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate (DAVA) 307-201-9415
Victim Witness Assistance Program (VWAP) 307-509-9718