On Childhood Maltreatment and Domestic Violence
May 7th, 2007 | Published in Advocacy, Education, Health, Human Rights | 1 Comment
Just read Sokari’s post on Black Looks - “Violence against women: Do something!” The post, especially this excerpt below reminds me of A.C.E:
“I spoke of my own personal experience of domestic violence. But the violence didn’t start there. I have had a life time of it from my child hood, of sexual harassment - touching, misogynist language, presumptions, jokes, looks, homophobia - it becomes a constant battle not to internalise the abuse. As a teenager I used to think it must be my fault - I am too sexual and that’s why this is happening. There was also the added racial element which expressed itself differently depending on whether in Africa or in the West…”
Childhood maltreatment - some of it’s features are captured by the excerpt above - is an example of A.C.E (”Adverse Childhood Experiences” [PDF]) - is a well-researched entity that has been connected to the emergence of chronic diseases and adverse health conditions in adulthood:
“The ACE Study reveals a powerful relationship between our emotional experiences as children and our physical and mental health as adults, as well as the major causes of adult mortality in the United States. It documents the conversion of traumatic emotional experiences in childhood into organic disease later in life.”
Then I read Renegade Eye’s post on Doa - a 17 year old Kurdish girl publicly stoned to death on April 7th, 2007 - a frank reawakening that violence, particularly violence against women, often leads to death. Doa was murdered because she fell in love (and probably has premarital sex) with a Muslim Arab man. A no-no in states under the Sharia law:
“Doa was stoned to death in the centre of the town of Bashiqa, Iraqi Kurdistan, in front of hundreds of people and the authorities did not prevent this crime from happening. On the contrary, they were present and paving the way for this horrific crime to be carried out.”
Violence is a global public health issue of epic proportions.
Readers are encouraged to sign this petition.
More information on the The ACE Study
On Oprah: See a perp. captures his acts on video, abusing his wife!!!
Technorati Tags: ACE Study, Doa, public health
May 9th, 2007 at 12:20 am (#)
Thank you for plugging the petition. It actually might help.
Sokori has one of the best blogs around. She has been a great advocate.