Intimate partner violence is classified as a global public health problem. National safety surveys show that the vast majority of people who experience intimate partner violence do not report the perpetrator. As a result, many live with violence every day. Every year, more than 20 people are killed as a result of violence perpetrated against a partner in an intimate relationship; the majority are women, but children and men are also killed by their partners.
In Sweden, 50 cases of intimate partner violence are reported every day. This is violence committed by a partner, most often in the home—which should be the safest place on earth. In Sweden, Save the Children estimates that one in ten children lives in a home where violence occurs. That amounts to at least 200,000 children in Sweden. What we know about these children is that they are ten times more likely to be victims of physical violence later in life—and in many cases, to inflict violence on others as well. We can break this cycle of violence, and we therefore need to work together to ensure a better life for these children. We also know that at least 300,000 children live in homes where there is substance abuse and/or mental health issues. This can mean that these children do not receive the care they are entitled to and therefore develop harmful behaviors toward themselves or others. We need to work together to protect and help these children as best we can. This might mean offering the children a snack when we know that the adults are unable to take care of either themselves or the children. It might mean offering the children a safe haven when they don’t have peace at home, or it might mean filing a report of concern with Social Services so that the children are identified and helped. These are what we call “micro-actions,” which in someone’s life can serve as strategies for survival and thus have “macro-effects.”
What we also know is that at least 100 rapes are committed every day. Of these, 17 are reported. The majority of all rapes (especially those that go unreported) are committed by someone the victim is in a relationship with. Together, we can prevent rapes that occur within intimate relationships. Research shows that victims are more likely to resist if they know help is available. In other words, they will be more likely to put up a visible and audible struggle if they know their neighbors will come to their rescue. That knowledge gives us the opportunity to work together to help our fellow human beings.
When neighbors decide to take action together, lives can be saved and children can be helped toward a brighter future. Take action by knocking on the door of the neighbor you’re worried about, checking in to see how things are going, and contacting the police if it’s an emergency or a threatening situation.
Information from huskurage.se