Posted on October 9, 2022
So much is going on in the world today. In foreign affairs, we're hearing the Russians talk about nuclear war. Young people today don’t realize how scary it was to live back in the 1950s and 60s when children practiced drills where we were told to get under our desks to shield ourselves from nuclear fallout from a nuclear bomb. Imagine “active shooter” drills except instead of only your school being under attack, it was human civilization as we know it. And, of course, in reality, our flimsy little desks would have offered no protection at all from the deadly radioactivity filling the atmosphere.
Here in America, we're plagued with a flurry of crime in the streets, criminals being released to commit other crimes, complete lawlessness is rampant in many areas. We see stories in the news of how stores are robbed in broad daylight. There can be no hope for a peaceful society without consequences for crimes, no safety for people. The mentally ill, many of whom are homeless, run rampant and homelessness as a result of other factors is at record highs. Compounding the problem is the flood of illegal immigration with millions coming over a border that is not secure. How can the American government justify having an unsecure border where gang members and drugs flow across unrestricted, and no one in power seem s to care? It baffles me as well it as does many others. Sometimes I think that I have arrived in another dimension, because honestly, this is no longer the country I remember.
Every time I walk into the grocery store, I am spending more money for the same products. While we've all experienced inflation, this is a whole new level. I find that I have to use my bicycle for some trips because the price of gasoline has become too high. I know others are feeling the same levels of stress that I am, and I wonder how their families are doing. Families with children, and maybe older parents, that they are trying to take care of are especially hard hit.
What often goes unrecognized it that increasing levels of stress are shown to cause an increase of domestic violence. In September of 2009, Claire M Renzetti, professor of Sociology at University of Kentucky wrote in the National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women that "research shows that among couples who report subjectively feeling high levels of financial strain the domestic violence rate is 9.5% compared with 2.7% for couples who report subjectively feeling low levels of financial strain." She added that, "...while economic stress and hardship may increase the risk of domestic violence, domestic violence may also cause financial problems for survivors and entrap them in poverty and an abusive relationship."
In my book, What Lies Behind Closed Curtains, we can see the cycle of the abuse that occurs on a regular basis, and I am sure this has only escalated due to the economic hardship we are experiencing.
I hope you will take the time to read my book. Take stock of your friends and family and make sure they are doing well and are safe. Know the signs of domestic abuse and violence because the people who are experiencing this are often too embarrassed to admit it. And for all of you out there, let’s pray this nightmare we are living in will change.
Economic Stress and Domestic Violence Claire M. Renzetti with contributions from Vivian M. Larkin (September 2009)
National Online Resource Center for Violence Against Women
VAWnet.org
