Domestic Abuse Is Preventable

About three of 10 Minnesotans will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.

That means nearly 17,000 people living in Winona County will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.

Next time you are shopping at the grocery store, count how many people you see. Statistically, by the fourth person you pass, you will interact with someone that has experienced, is experiencing or will experience domestic abuse.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The problem is real. And it is here.

As of this article’s writing, there are six individuals in Winona County jail facing at least one domestic abuse charge.

“No one is immune from domestic abuse, and it affects many families within our community,” said Family & Children’s Center Clinical Director Leah Morken, PhD.

Physical, mental, and psychological injuries don’t just happen when the abuse occurs, but it can echo for weeks, months, or even years. The CDC lists chronic conditions affecting the heart, digestive, reproduction, muscle and bones, and nervous systems as long-term effects. Mental health problems such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder are also possible.

“Abuse can lead to many different things, but it definitely leaves people feeling like the world is not a safe place, which can affect opportunities and interactions with others,” says Morken. “When a child is abused or witnesses domestic abuse within their home, it can alter their brains which makes them more reactive to stress and less likely to co-regulate with others. Even small stressors can cause big reactions in both children and adults that have experienced abuse.”

It starts with understanding that they are a range of factors that can put a person at higher risk. Individual risk factors include low self-esteem, low education or income. Relationship factors like jealousy, dominance, and witnessing violence between caregivers as a child. Community and societal factors like poverty and crime can also play a role.

There are plenty of ways everyone can work to end domestic abuse.

“Intervention is necessary for those who have experienced abuse to help enhance a sense of safety and empowerment for the individuals,” says Morken. “Prevention of the abuse in the first place is the best way to combat both the short-term and long-term effects of the abuse.”

Article original appeared in the Winona Daily News on October 3, 2022.