Domestic violence is not just something that affects the life of the victim. Any Dallas family violence attorney knows that domestic violence has repercussions on people around the victim, and can even affect an entire community.
The Dallas community recognizes this impact and Dallas City Hall has increased its efforts to stem domestic abuse in the city. The city council recently announced new initiatives within the police department, including increasing the number of officers to prioritize domestic abuse arrests. The police’s “Blue in the School” program, which teaches children who witness abuse or violence at home to report the incident to teachers or counselors, is also being expanded.
Domestic violence can be defined as a pattern of abusive behavior in a relationship, which is used by one person to have control over another. The relationship does not only have to be a marriage, and victims of domestic abuse can be other family members, including children, or sexual or dating partners or cohabitants of any age or gender. Abusive behavior can take many forms, and sometimes victims do not realize that they are experiencing domestic abuse. Emotional, economic and psychological abuse can all fall under the umbrella of domestic abuse, as can stalking.
These announcements by the Dallas City Hall follow the mayor’s recent formation of a men’s group aimed at lobbying other men to stop domestic abuse. Awareness and understanding of what constitutes domestic abuse is an important step in eliminating the practice. If friends and family members of victims can become more aware of the types and signs of domestic abuse, they can report instances of abuse and encourage victims to seek assistance.
Source: DFW.cbslocal.com, “Dallas City Hall Fighting Domestic Violence,” Jan. 17, 2013