Stop the abuse
A Letter to the Editor in today’s Northwest Herald:
To the Editor:
Once again, the news of another domestic violence death jarred McHenry County back into reality. As a community, we ask why no one saw it coming, or why it wasn’t stopped.
Our first instinct is to talk about what the victim should have done, but why not examine the behavior of the person responsible? We want to believe that things like this don’t happen here, or that no one we know is capable of such things. But it does happen in McHenry County; we saw it printed in black and white in the obituaries.
We imagine these men as monsters, but the people committing these acts are our neighbors, co-workers, family members and friends. When you’re abusive, you may tell yourself that you were drunk, provoked, or you “snapped.”
Victims protect you with the same excuses. Abuse doesn’t have to be physical for its effects to be devastating. Emotional and psychological abuses also have long-lasting effects on a person’s mental health and well-being.
In addition to victim services, Turning Point offers early intervention. The Partner Abuse Intervention Program is an educational program that teaches non-abusive methods of conflict resolution by helping clients recognize the impacts of their behaviors on their families, and implement constructive methods of interaction.
Whether it is yelling, intimidation, hitting or threats, it’s time to stop the cycle of violence before it escalates. You say you’d do anything to improve your relationship; we can help. Please call us for more information at 815-338-8081.
Jennie Farmer and staff
Turning Point, Partner Abuse Intervention Program, Woodstock
April 06 2012 01:41 pm | In the news and Programs