Marking Domestic Violence Awareness Month

The Centers for Disease Control report that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men have experienced domestic violence—also known as intimate partner violence—in their lifetimes. While these rates represent a decrease over the decades, intimate partner violence continues to persist as a common problem that results in injuries, mental health issues, homelessness—even death. 

But intimate partner violence is preventable, especially if you know what to look for. To commemorate October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, The Daily shares the insights from two Case Western Reserve University experts on how to help someone who may be experiencing intimate partner violence. 

Elizabeth Bach-Van Valkenburgh

Lecturer at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences

You don’t have to be an expert in psychology to be supportive of someone experiencing intimate partner violence. According to Elizabeth Bach-Van Valkenburgh, all you have to be, for starters, is curious. 

“I think the first clue is behavior that's not typical for them,” said Bach-Van Valkenburgh. “[Saying] How are you? You don't seem yourself. What's going on?” 

She also emphasized that the first 90 days after leaving a violent relationship are often the most dangerous.

“That is when the perpetrator is the most provoked,” she explained, which is why it’s critical to ensure the victim has safe support in place.

Dan Flannery, PhD

Semi J. and Ruth Begun Professor
Director of the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education 
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences

The way we think about domestic violence has changed over the years, evolving from what was perceived as a private problem—one that could isolate the victim, bringing on shame and loneliness. But times have changed, said Dan Flannery, PhD, the Semi J. and Ruth Begun Professor at the Mandel School, and we should no longer see intimate partner violence as a “private family matter.”

That’s especially the case when considering the welfare of young children, he explained. 

“The most significant time period for brain development is in the first couple years of life,” said Flannery. “So even if a young child is in that environment as a witness, even if they're not verbal, those kinds of interactions that they're exposed to from their caregivers or their parents can actually affect the development of the neurocircuitry in their brains.”