Sunday, June 1, 2014

Disaster Avoided: Responding to Domestic Violence

Domestic violence traumatizes everyone. It leaves the victims a scar that will forever be marked in their minds, an experience that will cause them to live their lives in constant fear. Domestic Violence is such a tragedy, ruining everyone on the receiving end. Most of the time, those who are victims of this vicious act change their outlook in life. They see things differently, building walls and excluding themselves from the people surrounding them.

There are numerous forms of Domestic Violence, involving different ages, relationship and acts. These acts involved inflicting pain physically and mentally to the victims. Situations like these usually involve family members, including the children, and couples. It starts with an argument regarding an unsolved issue that often escalates to physical and verbal abuse.

What makes this even more terrifying is when the offender publicly hurt the victims. In cases like this, witnesses are bound to see what is happening. They experience an event in which they are clueless on how to react. It seems that when this happens, people just stand still and do nothing out of shock. As witnesses, one can do a lot of simple ways to avoid further aggravation and the infliction of pain. Witnesses should not fear being caught in a situation like this because they can help stop the situation from getting worse. Here are some things witnesses can do to help in the situation.

Try and approach the people involved in the argument. Talk to them and help them sort out the problem or just calm them down. If ever the people involved won’t cooperate and insist that they don’t need help, agree with them and leave them but keep an eye on them, things may escalate from that point onwards. Be ready to move in case one starts to hit the other. In situations like this, there are different ways to respond.

a. Break the fight. Separate the people involved, especially the one inflicting pain.

b. If one can’t handle stopping the fight, quickly call the police or anyone who can stop the fight.

c. Take photos and videos and show it to the authorities.

d. If ever the offender won’t stop, use extreme force. Push them away enough to help the victim go. This should always be the last resort and is to be done only if the people involved won’t cooperate or calm down.

Not all of these violent acts happen in an exposed place, sometimes they occur inside the house or apartment but that does not make it less actionable. When one hears shouting, loud thumps or any noise that is probably caused by a fight, they must take the initiative to go and try knocking on the other room or house to see if everything is alright. This will stop the fight and will let the people involved know that they are being noticed by those around them.

There are times when one will not witness or hear anything, they will just see the aftermath of the fight, the wounds and bruises left on the body. When that happens, approach the victim and try to know more about the story behind them. Be discreet and know when to stop to avoid getting on the wrong side of the victim.

Offer them help. It is the simplest yet biggest act that one can do. Letting them know that they are not alone can do a lot for them.

Chances are this will happen in the least expected moments, knowing what to do can save a life and change the event from ending disastrously. Be aware and respond quickly and if you find yourself in one of these situations and is in need of a domestic assault attorney in Las Vegas, know that there are always law firms out there that can offer the best service you need.