Myth: Domestic violence is a private family matter.
Fact: Domestic violence is everyone’s business. Keeping domestic violence secret helps no one, has been shown to harm children, incurs substantial costs to society, and serves to perpetuate abuse through learned patterns of behavior.
Myth: Most of the time, domestic violence is not really that serious.
Fact: Domestic violence is an illegal act in the U.S. and is considered a crime with serious repercussions. Although there are aspects of domestic violence (e.g. emotional, psychological, spiritual, financial abuse) that may not be considered criminal in a legal sense, serious and long-lasting physical, emotional and spiritual harms can, and often do, occur. Each and every act of domestic violence needs to be taken seriously.
Myth: Victims provoke their partners’ violence.
Fact: Whatever problems exist in a relationship, the use of violence is never justifiable or acceptable. There is NO EXCUSE for domestic violence.