AlyssaStrauss 2ndhour 2/24/14 DomesticViolence

Domesticviolencecanhappentoanyone,regardlessofgender,race,sexual orientation,orfinancialincome.1in4womenwillexperiencedomesticabuseat somepointintheirlife.Everyyear,1in3womenwhoaremurdervictimsarekilled bytheirpartners.Morethan60%ofdomesticviolencehappensathomeandis morelikelytooccurbetween6AMand6PM.Everyyear,3millionchildren witnessdomesticabuseintheirhome.In1978,theSpouseAbuselawstatedthat thepolicedidntneedtowitnessthebeatings,andthespousewassentawayfor24 hours.AccordingtotheThurmanLawin1985,whetherthetwopartnerswere marriedornot,thepolicehadtotakeactionabouttheviolence. InTheBurningBedandTheTracyThurmanStory,FrancineHughesand TracyThurmanwereverysimilar.Bothwomenhadchildrenwhowitnessedthe beatingstheywentthrough.Theywerebothweremarriedyoungandtriedtogeta divorce.However,Tracyleftaftereverybeating,whileFrancineputupwithher husband.TracytoldBuckhisactionswerewrongwhileFrancinemadeupexcuses

forMickey.Tracyhadasupportsystem,withhersistersayingsheshouldleave him,andFrancinesmothersaidsheshouldputupwithherhusbandsways. MickeyHughesandBuckThurmanwerealikeaswell.Theybothhad children,struggledwiththeiranger,wereunemployed,anddrankalcohol.Mickey andBuckcontrastedwiththeirmajorproblemsleadingtotheabuse.Mickeyhad jealousyissues,whileBuckstruggledwithgambling.Buckwasabusedasachild, Mickeywasnt.Buckwenttojail,andMickeydiedinthefire. InCrazyLovewrittenbyLeslieMorganSteiner,LeslieandConorwereinan abusiverelationship.LeslieworkedatSeventeenMagazine,andattendedHarvard. Conorwasabusedasachild,hadapoorbackground,andabusedLeslie throughoutthenovel.Duringthescenewhereshewasinthegasstationusingthe bathroomandtheywereeating,ConorwentthroughLesliespurseandfoundsome oldstickynotesatthebottom.Heyelledatherandhitherforhavinganotefroma guyfrombeforesheevenknewConor.Lesliestayedquietandtriedtoactlikeit wasnobigdealtoConor.IfIwereinthesituation,Iwouldhavereactedprobably thesameway.WhenIgetaccusedofsomethingandItrytopreventafight,I usuallytrytomakeajokeaboutit,andletitgo. Ibelievedomesticviolenceisaseriousissue.Ithinkthepeoplewhoarein abusiverelationshipsshouldseekhelprightaway,evenafterthefirstincident.

DomesticviolenceshouldbehandleddifferentlyinseveralsituationsthatIhear about.Ibelievethatdomesticabusersshouldgotojailforalongertimethanwhat theyareassigned,andtheissuesshouldbetakencareofimmediately.