Life Skills Awareness will remain open and offer online and over-the-phone therapy during COVID-19 isolation.
Domestic Violence Services
The desire for interpersonal connections and relationships is deeply ingrained in the existence of most humans. Practically every person on Earth is striving to find someone to care about and be cared by, to have a social and reciprocal relationship that is fulfilling, to not be alone. The drive to find that person, or the drive to maintain a relationship with that person can be an amazing and fulfilling thing. But what most rom coms and love stories might not showcase is just how hard it is to have a “perfect” relationship. They won’t showcase how much emotion, compromise, and concession it takes to maintain a good relationship. And for some people, the imperfections of their relationship go a little farther than snappy arguments and poor communication. Sometimes, arguments or disagreements can end in physical abuse between intimate partners, even partners who love each other. At Life Skills Awareness, this is just one of the many problems in our society that our team of counseling specialists are here to support you for. Keep reading to learn a bit more about domestic violence, and how our team is prepared to help.
What is Domestic Violence?
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) defines domestic violence as “the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another”. These actions can range from psychological torment and gaslighting, to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, and can occur in any type of interpersonal intimate relationship, regardless of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, economic status or nationality.
The frequency and severity of domestic violence cases can vary case by case, but an important and consistent theme that is a part of every case of interpersonal partner abuse is the desire of one partner to have dominating power and control over the other partner. Whether it’s emotional gaslighting and psychological manipulation, or threat of physical and sexual injury, the results of domestic violence and the desire for control can negatively impact victims in a range of ways, from trauma, to injury, to even death. And these effects can make getting help, whether for yourself or a loved one, quite difficult.
More Common Than You May Think
Domestic violence is a frighteningly common occurrence in the world, the United States, and the state of California. On average, about 20 people experience some form of physical abuse by an intimate partner per minute. And that is just in the United States alone, which equates to about 10 million American men and women per year. Women are affected by domestic violence at a much higher rate than men, but the numbers for both are still staggering. About 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience some form of severe intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner contact sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking in their lifetimes. In California, that statistic is a little higher than the national average, with almost 33% of women and over 27% of men experiencing some form of intimate partner abuse in their lifetimes.
These numbers are quite shocking, even if you have heard them before. The prevalence of domestic violence is a massive issue in our country, our state, and the world, and the more awareness we have about it, the more we can do to prevent it, and fight it, and support those who have survived it. Whether you are currently in an abusive relationship, or your friend or loved one is, our team of counseling experts at Life Skills Awareness has the experience and compassion to hear your story, and see how we can help.
Support From Life Skills Awareness
As disheartening, dominating, and traumatizing as domestic violence is, those who are impacted by it are truly not alone in their experience, nor are they alone in their journey to cope, grow, and progress past it. Life Skills Awareness in Hesperia is here to offer the necessary community response to domestic violence in order to document abuse, assess dangerous situations, monitor behavior, and provide the necessary information and resources to the victims.
Whether it’s you or a loved one, Life Skills Awareness proudly provides a variety of services from our counselors that can offer support and guidance for those experiencing domestic violence. Keep reading to learn more, or contact us today to set up an appointment.
Therapy Services
For victims of domestic violence, the trauma from physical or psychological abuse can stay with them long after the abuse has happened. This trauma can make everything about living your life with the experience of domestic violence that much harder, whether it’s coping with current abuse, recovering from abuse in your past, or even considering reentering the dating pool. Trauma is a very real experience, and our counselors at Life Skills Awareness have the experience, compassion, and skills required to help you through it. We offer a variety of counseling services and therapy techniques that can support your coping process, mitigate the effects of PTSD, and help you feel back in control of your mind and life.
Contractual Psychoeducation Services
As much as we must condemn the actions of domestic violence offenders, we also need to take the steps towards rehabilitation and education in order to limit the likelihood of future offenses, and all offenses in general. Life Skills Awareness is partnered with a variety of county departments in San Bernardino, as well as the County’s Superior Court Family Law and Child Protective Services Department to provide contractual/court-ordered psychoeducation services. These departments refer clients and offenders to our agency in order to provide effective reeducation and rehabilitation services, so we can inform and educate those who have committed abuse, and ideally educate them on the deep error of their actions. You can learn more about the curriculum below.
NCTI Curriculum
The curriculum for these classes are created by the National Curriculum Training Institute, or NCTI, and are designed to combine evidence-based information with behavior-changing tools and exercises, meant to not only minimize problematic behaviors, but induce lifelong growth and skills. These classes are designed to engage and educate men and women who have abused their partners, to provide the resources and teachers necessary to show them the responsibility they have for their actions, how violence and control are not the answers to their problems, and how they can effectively navigate interpersonal relationships and conflict in a nonviolent manner.
Domestic Violence Support - Life Skills Awareness
Domestic violence is a terrible epidemic of abuse and control that has affected too many people for far too long all over the world. The only way we can fight it is to educate, inform, cope, and survive, and the team at Life Skills Awareness is here to do just that. Regardless of the support or services you may need, our team at Life Skills Awareness in Hesperia can offer what you need in any situation, or direct you to someone who can. Contact us today and see how we can help.