By Kari Sharpe, USAG Bavaria ACS Family Advocacy Program
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Domestic Violence is a significant societal problem – impacting individuals in the military, the United States and the World. We hear the statistics and disturbing numbers regularly at mandatory training events, and every October as the Army joins the rest of our nation in recognizing the battle to end it.
Thankfully, however, many of us are not living with domestic violence. For those of us so fortunate, why do we need to keep hearing, thinking or talking about it? We know to call the Military Police if we have to report potential violence, and we’ve heard about the resources that are available in case we need to share it with a friend or loved one. What else can we do?
This month specifically, you can challenge yourself, your friends and your family members to consider three strategies as means of helping to prevent domestic violence:
This month, Army Community Service’s Family Advocacy Program will host a variety of workshops in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, in addition to an information campaign. Educational opportunities include bystander training, book clubs, communication enhancement, marriage and family workshops, and several topics related to mindfulness and resilience. Find activities taking place in your community at https://bavaria.armymwr.com/, by calling your local ACS or by going directly to https://acsbavaria.checkappointments.com to register. You can also look for outreach tables and displays around the installation during the entire month of October.
If you or anyone you know is a victim of domestic violence, remember that a Victim Advocate is available 24 hours a day at 0162-2960661 to provide confidential assistance, including emotional support, development of a safety plan, crisis intervention and accurate information regarding your legal rights.