Domestic violence still a silent killer [View all]

[sheshe2]

Atlanta

What strikes one in four American women and claims a life in the United States every six hours? The scourge of domestic violence is so stigmatizing that most victims never talk about it or seek help.

Paula Denize Lewis, an executive assistant here in Atlanta, was among those who kept quiet. She tried to cover up the black eyes and bruises when she went to work, and when she showed up with her arm in a sling she claimed that she had fallen down the stairs.

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Domestic violence deserves far more attention, resources and police understanding of the complexities involved. This is not a fringe concern. It is vast, outrageous and should be a national priority.

Women worldwide ages 15 to 44 are more likely to die or be maimed as a result of male violence than as a consequence of war, cancer, malaria and traffic accidents combined. Far more Americans, mostly women, have been killed in the past dozen years at the hands of their partners than in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

First, we must end the silence.

http://www.omaha.com/opinion/editorials/nicholas-kristof-domestic-violence-still-a-silent-killer/article_06870c6c-9136-5645-8ba2-6b185f4d1af7.html

















Trust me on this, someone you know or love is a victim. It is time to break the silence, I know this because I was silent too.