This is my third year in college and I am glad to say that I have never been in a relationship where I was physically or verbally abused.
I would like to say that if you are in an abusive relationship, please get out. Never mind the fact that you think your partner is the only person you have or you don’t think you can find anybody else. It is not worth the emotional strain. And yes, I know it is easier said than done. I, too, have been in some relationships in which my friends would constantly ask me why I was with that person.
How many times have you seen friends or loved ones with bruises or scars you know didn’t come from falling down the stairs? Or, how many times have you witnessed a couple’s conversation during which one of them was constantly calling the other person names and saying negative, degrading things? Abuse whether it is verbal, mental or physical, is not healthy.
In my household, it was never physical, but for the next person fights between parents might have been an everyday occurrence. For the people who grew up in abusive households, I give my condolences. However, please try to break the cycle. You do not want your kids to be a witness to or learn this type of behavior.
To anyone that has a friend in an abusive relationship, please reach out to them and let them know you are there for them and willing to help them.
If you are in an abusive relationship, I hope you find a way out. Please talk to someone. I will burn a candle for you in hope that you will find your way out.
Domestic violence is on the rise in the United States, but we can change that statistic for the better. I can’t imagine having a long hard day at work or school and coming home to a more stressful environment.
Ricquel Lewis, 19, is a junior public relations student from Oakland, Calif. She can be reached at ricquel83@yahoo.com.