At the office of Robert G. Spaugh, Attorney at Law, we help our clients with a wide variety of issues, including divorce and separation. There are many reasons why someone might choose to separate from their spouse, from infidelity to incompatible differences in values or personality. Unfortunately, another reason driving people to seek separation or divorce is domestic violence.
Our team has represented countless clients in domestic violence cases, and we have encountered a great deal of misinformation on the subject. In this article, we will address some of the most common and harmful myths surrounding this topic.
- Myth: Domestic violence occurs due to anger management or impulse control issues. Many domestic abusers will use anger or impulse control as an excuse to justify their behavior. However, if it were really a problem of control, the abuser would lash out at everyone, not just their partner. Perpetrators of domestic violence choose their targets—for example, they selectively batter their partner, but not their boss, and when they break things, it’s never their own possessions.
- Myth: It is easy to escape domestic violence. One of the most harmful ideas people have about domestic violence is that it’s easy for victims to leave. This leads observers to believe the victim must like the situation since they stay with their abusers. In reality, it is extremely difficult to escape a domestic abuser, and there are a variety of complex reasons why people stay. The victim might not have safe options, or they may lack resources to support themselves. It’s also extremely common for abusers to threaten the victim’s life or the lives of their children, pets, or other loved ones, which is another reason why people stay.
- Myth: Only women can be victims of domestic violence, and only men can be perpetrators. A third insidious myth about domestic violence has to do with the genders of the abusers and victims. Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence, and anyone can commit this abuse, regardless of gender.
If you are seeking divorce or separation due to domestic violence, we encourage you to contact our office to learn more about how we can assist you.