F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- Domestic violence is considered to be the most common unreported crime in America today. 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.
Facts concerning domestic violence:
· Only one in ten episodes of domestic violence are 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 per year, many suffering serious physical harm.
Experts have found that typical incidents of violence involve three phases. The first phase is the tension phase. In this, 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 phase. 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 phase, there is a period of seduction. 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.
“We are seeing a trend at F.E. Warren within our younger population,” said Glenn Garcia, 90th Medical Operations Squadron outreach manager. “Lack of healthy communication skills within the couple, can lead to frustration and physical contact which puts the couple at a greater risk of violence.”
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.
“I work to help couples that may be in an abusive type of relationship,” said Cheryl Koubeck, 90th MOS treatment manager. “I counsel couples to prevent future occurrences of violence within the relationship.”
The Family Advocacy Program provides an array of programs and services to help eliminate the violence or provides guidance and support for spouses and 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.
To talk to a member of Family Advocacy or if you’re seeking help or more information on their services, call (307) 773-4228.