Atlanta, GA–Every year thousands of women find the courage to escape domestic violence and abuse. They find the strength to leave because of the support of family and friends or an agency that lends a helping hand. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics 21% of women contact an outside agency for help. Out of that number 45% contact a private agency.
However, millions of women remain because they do not see a way out, mostly because they do not have the means to make the escape. It takes time, a plan, and money to move out and move on independently. Without money they are stuck.
For those that do escape they are left with what amounts to battle scars. These scars are mostly mental and emotional. They suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and it takes months, even years of therapy to feel sane again. Their children suffer as well which shows up as withdrawal or aggression. It takes a while for them to begin to know how to feel “normal”.
A woman that has successfully escaped an abusive relationship is often depressed and discouraged. According to O.W. Barnett in a journal article, Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, there are “60% of battered women reporting depression after escaping a domestic violence situation”. She is free, but now what? How does she move forward in her life? She cannot stay in a shelter or transition home forever. She has to rebuild her life and become emotionally and economically independent.
With the help of organizations like Chayil in Atlanta, GA, she can receive the coaching she needs to make the transition an little smoother. With programs like the Atlanta Workforce Development Center she can get the skills or the job she needs to begin caring for her family financially.
With tools like The Single Mom Survival and Success Kit she can learn how to use her long hidden talents and skills to learn how to make extra money and manage the money she receives. She can learn how to successfully navigate through single parenthood alone and most importantly she can learn how to take care of herself; mind, body, and spirit.
There are resources available all around, but if they are not easily accessible she may never know how to navigate through recovery into a place of wholeness.
Domestic violence and abuse is an epidemic right now around the world. What we see is probably the tip of the iceberg, but if enough people get involved it can be stamped out. When women learn the truth about who they are as individuals, begin taking their power back, and teaching their daughters the same, the cycle will begin to break and the next generation may see a marked change.
Resources:
- Get The Single Mom Survival and Success Kit for free
- Contact Chayil for life coaching
- Contact the Atlanta Workforce Development Center for education and job training assistance.
Samantha Gregory is the editor of RichSingleMomma.com and is a truth-teller and encourager of women. She helps break the cycle of shame so women can shine and reach the potential they were born with. Connect with her on Twitter @samanthagregory and @richsinglemomma
References:
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Intimate Partner Violence in the U.S. 1993-2004, 2006
Barnett, O.W. (2000). Why battered women do not leave, part 1: External inhibiting factors within society. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, 1, 343-372.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
