Like every tsunami, it starts small. A slap here, a hit there. Nothing to worry about. He apologizes, says it will never happen again.
But it does.
It happens again. Harder this time, perhaps a punch or two. It becomes a pattern.
Beat, repent, repeat.
The physical abuse.
The pattern.
OR
It is completely inconspicuous. Almost invisible to the outside world and sometimes, to the victim, too. Charming dominance turns into irrational jealousy and possessiveness. Endearing neediness becomes suffocating. You find yourself trying to stay out for as long as you can. You know it’s coming.
The emotional abuse.
The pattern.
According to the World Health Organization, almost one third of women who have been in a relationship report that they have experienced some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner in their lifetime.
Not everyone has the courage to fight back against abuse and violence. It’s not simply about being ‘brave’ – it becomes almost impossible to have courage if you don’t have a voice. Sometimes, even those who do are stifled by the fear of humiliation and social stigma surrounding gender-based violence.
Not everyone has a loving family or friends to fall back on. Not everyone can simply wake up one day, decide they have had enough, and leave. It’s not that easy, oh how I wish it was, but it isn’t.
Although, it’s also not impossible.
You might wonder, why must they stay? Is it the children? Or the familiarity? Or worst of all, the tainted love? It’s generally an amalgamation of all of these reasons along with many more. Of course, none of them can ever justify the destruction of lives, hearts, and a place that now detestably resembles home but is far, far from it.
The more you take, the less you can give to yourself or those you love. You deserve a safe environment. Children deserve a safe environment.
Make a safety plan. You can break the pattern and protect yourself and others. It will be hard, but it will be worth it.
“Break the pattern before it breaks you.” – Colleen Hoover, It Ends With Us
