(Published in the University of Michigan Black Student Union’s publication, Onyx Magazine)
Saw some posts today about October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and was reminded of a piece I wrote in 2008 about DV as it relates to black women. Hopefully this information is helpful to someone, and raises further awareness, which is much needed in the fight against DV.
As a resident of the Martha Cook Building—an all-female dorm—for two years, I was bombarded on a biannual basis with requests to give my support to causes dedicated to “serious health issues of women”. October brought an endless supply of pink ribbon, “Save Second Base” t-shirts, and the trusty change jar at the front desk, raising money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. February had red stress hearts emblazoned with “MCB”, infinite e-mail spam about “Wear Red Day”, and, of course, the change jar, this time for the American Heart Association. At the end of each respective month, tallies were taken, people patted themselves on the back for supporting the cause, and everyone moved on with their lives, as if these issues only present themselves on an annual basis. More importantly, these were the only female issues presented to residents.
But what of other issues that drastically affect women? The ones without special months and t-shirts; those that may cause some to cringe, that spark debate? It’s far easier and far less controversial to speak out about the need for more progressive research for a cure for breast cancer, than to get on your soapbox for women who are brutally beaten by their significant others. The American mentality that what people do in the privacy of their home is their business seems to have put a damper on the urgency to end domestic violence, and has made it less of an “issue”, particularly in the age where only “health” issues seem to matter when it comes to women.
Domestic violence, however, is a health issue. Defined as “the physical, emotional, sexual, and psychological abuse, performed by one person in an intimate relationship against another”, implications of both mental and physical health concerns are clear. Furthermore, domestic violence affects more women than other ‘women’s issues’ that have garnered extensive media attention in the past few years. Approximately 1 in 4 American women will experience partner violence at some point in their lifetime. On an annual basis, domestic violence accounts for 200,000 emergency room visits, 4 million female deaths, and trauma to 3 million children of victims who witness it. In a 2006 study by the FBI, it was estimated that an American woman is battered every 15-18 seconds.
Domestic violence is particularly an issue of concern to the black community, where African-American women are disproportionately abused in relation to other groups. A 2001 study by the Department of Justice showed that 1 in 3 black women will suffer domestic violence, and are more likely to suffer more severe violence than others. Furthermore, black women are twice as likely as those in other groups to die at the hands of their partner. To understand the necessary steps to end such devastating statistics, it first must be understood why black women are more likely to suffer abuse.
The amount of research on domestic violence in the black community is sparse, and often does not take into account the effects of socioeconomic situations in conjunction with race on the violence level. Atlanta’s Centers for Disease Control sought out to do just this, and found that on the part of batterers, unemployment and underemployment, family breakdowns, drug saturation, and liquor store densities all played a role in the commencement and continuation of abuse. On the victims’ side, perception played a large role in women’s refusal to seek help, especially for the long term. Contrary to popular belief, black women are more likely to report domestic violence and request restraining orders than women in any other demographic, and are more likely to leave their abusers. Unfortunately, they are also more likely than any other group to return to abusive partners.
The study showed a perception among black female victims that because of disproportionately high incarceration rates, there were fewer choices of black men as partners, and thus they must accept the abuse of their partner. This mode of thinking is also one of survival, as higher poverty and single motherhood rates in black communities may leave a woman accepting physical, emotional, and/or verbal violence in exchange for financial support. Many women who leave abusive significant others return mainly for financial reasons.
Calling the police or seeking help through the justice system would seem like a logical and obvious step, but the “privacy” issue surrounding abuse has all too often caused a lackadaisical approach on the part of these authorities, especially police. In a 2003 study by the D.C. Police Department, research found that in only 30% of domestic violence calls did officers take pictures or ask about prior abuse. Only 17% of victims were asked about obtaining a restraining order, and 84% received no printed information for future police contact or domestic violence prevention resources. Basically police serve as a temporary buffer at best in such situations; a proverbial Band-Aid on an open wound.
So if black women aren’t speaking up enough, and neither are the powers that be that could help them, that leaves us to be their voice, to speak on their behalf. Domestic violence is a global and domestic issue, but it is also a black issue. It is important for us as a people to organize and give black women another resource, and a familiar resource, to turn to. Within the Latino community, organizations such as The National Latino Alliance For the Elimination of Domestic Violence, or La Alianza, have taken matters into their own hands when it became clear that mainstream assistance was not sufficient, and our community should follow suit. Large community action isn’t the only option, however. If you are a friend of someone who is a victim of abuse, be supportive, help find proper resources, and most importantly, stay supportive. Many friends of victims have fallings out over the fact that they cannot understand why their friend will not ‘just leave’. The issue is never that simple, and sometimes, expressing such thinking can drive a victim back to an abuser, in an effort to ‘prove’ that the relationship is not what others say it is.
Most importantly, remember that domestic violence, along with any other major issue, isn’t a cause limited to one month full of trinkets for sale, and feel-good donations. It’s an atrocity happening every day, every minute. In the time you took to read this article, approximately 26 women were abused. Step up. Be their voice.