A couple is arguing in the empty hallway, pointing the finger about the issues in their relationships and screaming obscenities for both innocent passersby and not so innocent eavesdroppers alike to hear.
Just when spectators think the worst has passed, the argument suddenly escalates from an intense shouting match to a physical brawl.
The boyfriend cowers in the corner as his enraged girlfriend heatedly kicks him over and over again with her high-heeled shoes. Ouch.
Sounds like a scene straight out of a Tyler Perry film, right? Unfortunately, this situation is less than funny. It is actually a serious issue of domestic violence.
And instead of being screened in a packed movie theater, accented by the deliberate laughter of a studio audience, this shocking situation is occurring in a Howard University residency.
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, domestic violence is defined as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. This includes not only verbal abuse, but obviously, physical abuse. It’s a disturbing issue that affects not only older married couples, but younger couples, even as young as high school in many cases.
Also, domestic abuse is not limited to males abusing their female counterparts. As illustrated by the above example, females are often the culprits.
According to the D.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence, in 2005, the Metropolitan Police Department received 27,401 domestic violence calls, amounting to one call every 19 minutes.
Domestic violence accounted for a third of all reported crime calls in Washington, D.C. for that year, a devastating reality.
Students in abusive relationships are unfortunately more common than you might think, and those students involved should utilize hotlines and other resources available to them as a means of getting away from an unhealthy situation.
Students can call their local hotlines, or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.
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