The month of October is commonly known as Breast Cancer Awareness month, but many forget that October is also recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

According to the National Council of Single Mothers and Children, domestic violence is “…a pattern of abusive behavior through which a person seeks to control and dominate another.”
Domestic violence can be a tough or serious topic to discuss.
“The Bureau of Justice Statistics says an average of about 716,000 instances of nonfatal domestic violence were reported to police each year [but] … 582,000 instances went unreported.”
The Lethality Assessment Program says that within the last 10 years, over 1,600 people died from a domestic violence situation in the state of Pennsylvania alone.
Unseld Johnson, a deputy for the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Department, has been with the department for over 15 years.
Deputy Johnson stated, “If the number of fatalities were added together from every state, the numbers would be through the roof.”
He also added, “Our Sheriff Department considers domestic violence to be any form of physical violence or abuse.” He has also confirmed that anyone who commits any domestic violent performances will automatically face 72 hours in jail.
Angela Wilcox, a 35-year-old New Orleans native, has been a victim of domestic violence and abuse. She has been working on a program to help those who may have been affected by any form of violence or abuse. She said that she “especially wants to help women who suffer or may have experienced toxic or intimate relationships.”
She explained how she “understands the difficulty of being in an abusive relationship and only hope that things will get better.”
Wilcox even expressed that she “knows how hard it is to walk away from someone you truly love that continuously abuses you both verbally and physically.” She also stated that her problem was that she decided to stay with her ex-boyfriend hoping that he would change.”
Wilcox added how her ex-boyfriend would abuse and try to control her and how it took her five years to finally walk away from their relationship.


She said she just wants to help encourage anyone, especially younger girls, to report any form of violence or abuse to the police. She believes “No one deserves to be treated in that way.”
Brittany Stevenson, a 29-year-old entrepreneur from Baton Rouge, said that she is a victim of domestic abuse and violence as well.
Stevenson said she was verbally and physically abused by her fiance. She said that she stayed with him for about two years; which now she believes is too long to be in an abusive relationship. Stevenson said that her fiance didn’t start their relationship off being abusive but started to change after he lost his job.
She stated, “ He worked for a plant in Plaquemines Parish and after he was let go, he wanted to use the money from my business for his personal use. I told him no and that’s when he hit me for the first time.”
Stevenson owns a local hair salon in Baton Rouge.
Stevenson also wanted to add that he didn’t punch her, but instead pushed her and slapped her. After that, she gave him some of the money from her salon to satisfy him but her fiance kept coming back begging for more. This was when she discovered he had developed a gambling problem.
After the first time he physically abused her, he began to abuse her, every time things didn’t go his way. He would hit or verbally abuse Stevenson.

“The slapping and pushing eventually led to punching. Of course, I would fight back, but he was stronger than I was,” she noted.
She also said, “I loved him from the bottom of my heart and we had already made plans to get married, so I stayed with him and kept hiding my bruises because I didn’t want to be embarrassed.”
It was when Stevenson had to be taken to the hospital due to a fractured bone in her wrist that made her realize that he wasn’t going to change. That was when she decided to finally tell her friends and family of what had been happening and how she wanted to end things with him before matters got worse.

“I was afraid of what he would do to me for trying to leave him, so some of my family members helped me escape him and our toxic relationship.”
She also added, “It wasn’t easy but it was worth it.”
Now Stevenson tells everyone to report any violent activity because she realizes she should have reported her fiance. She stated that maybe if she would have reported him the first time, he probably would have been too afraid to do it again.
Brian Williams, a 38-year-old from Lafayette, remembered how his mother would be abused almost every night by his stepfather when he was a child.
He stated how his mother would try to cover her bruises and black eyes with makeup so no one would say anything.
Williams also said that he remembered feeling helpless watching his mother get beat all the time.
He added, “I was only a child, so I couldn’t do much. Of course, I didn’t know to call the police or to tell another adult of what was going on, but I know it hurt my heart to see her going through that and to even remember those times.”
After Williams’ step-father died in a car accident 10-years ago, he said that he made his mother promise him to never allow herself to be abused by another man and to never be involved in another abusive relationship.
Domestic Violence Prevention Month has helped bring awareness to a lot of communities, businesses, and organizations.
Corporations such as Verizon Wireless has developed a cell phone drive called “The Hopeline Campaign”. People will be able to drop off unused cell phones at any Verizon Wireless store as a step to help change the overall outcome of domestic violence. This is also a way to recycle phones
Some domestic violent situations can become so violent until it turns deadly. This is the reason police wants everyone to report anything that is violent or abusive.
Police Officers like Deputy Johnson, believe that someone’s life could be endangered so reporting any violent incidents could save someone’s life.
It is important to report any violent activities by dialing 911. Also, remember that physical or verbal abuse is not okay or normal; so please call the authorities, make a police report or do whatever is necessary to save a life.
All lives truly matter.
