How far can the issue on domestic violence go when no less than the U.S. President has seen the elevator video?
The Ray Rice video that apparently showed the former Baltimore Ravens running back punching his fiancé in an elevator was seen by no less than the U.S. President Barrack Obama, CNN reported. "The President was shocked by what he saw. Let's put it that way," said White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest further said that, "This administration and this president do believe strongly that the scourge of violence against women is something that needs to be aggressively combated."
Maybe because of the growing concerns on domestic violence plus when the elevator video has surfaced, the National Football League suspended Rice indefinitely. Baltimore Ravens, on the other hand, released the player.
According to the Domestic Violence Facts of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, an estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year and 85% of domestic violence victims are women.
How can one woman deal with domestic violence? Here are some steps:
1. The very first step is to accept that you are in an abusive situation.
2. Seek help from your family. Eliminate your fear and talk things out.
3. Get assistance from community support groups.
4. If steps two and three are not possible, prepare an escape plan. See to it that when the day of your escape comes, you have cash on hand, transport ready, documents that will prove your situation, clothing, phone (with emergency numbers recorded), and others.
5. Go to the nearest person you can trust and who is willing to provide help.
With the recent issues on domestic violence and on the elevator video growing, more and more women are becoming aware that abuse should not be tolerated.
