In the shadows of our society, hidden beneath layers of silence and shame, a pervasive and disturbing issue continues to impact people globally: domestic violence and sexual assault.
These crimes happen more often than we think to people we would never view as victims, perpetrated by criminals we would never suspect.
No More, a global non-profit dedicated to putting an end to this, states that 1 in 3 women will experience domestic violence or sexual assault at some point in their lives, 1 in 6 boys will experience sexual violence before the age of 18 and 65% of victims who reported being abused state that no one attempted to help them.
But how can we address such a major widespread issue to stop it?
Host of “The Girlfriends” podcast, Carole Fisher’s answer is to ban together to protect each other.
“The Girlfriends” podcast follows Fisher’s true story of how she and other women initially came together to talk about an ex-boyfriend that they all previously dated.
However, the group inadvertently stumbles upon a mystery when they dive into the case of the man’s missing wife, resulting in him being charged with and arrested for her murder.
I spoke with Fisher about how looking out for each other and creating tight-knit communities, especially as women, can help save abuse victims from violence even before they experience it.
Fisher states that paying attention to uneasy feelings you may get around certain people is essential as they could be considered red flags.
However, even if you cannot recognize the warnings initially, you need to know that the abuse or violence you experienced isn’t your fault and that no one has the right to harm or violate you.
Countless resources are available to help survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse.
However, the resource with the most significant impact in eradicating this ongoing problem is for us to stand up and place the blame and shame where it belongs, which is with the abusers.
