Laura La Bella - Living in a Violent Household

Published in 2016 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010

Copyright 2016 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

La Bella, Laura.

Living in a violent household/Laura La Bella.First edition.

pages cm.(Confronting violence against women)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4994-6034-6 (library bound) ISBN 978-1-4994-6035-3 (pbk.) ISBN 978-1-4994-6036-0 (6-pack)

1. Family violenceJuvenile literature. 2. Intimate partner violenceJuvenile literature. 3. Spousal abuseJuvenile literature. 4. WomenViolence againstJuvenile literature. I. Title.

HV6626.L323 2016

362.8292--dc23

2014049620

Manufactured in the United States of America

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1

What Is a Violent Household?

CHAPTER 2

What Creates a Violent Household?

CHAPTER 3

The Effects of Living with Household Violence

CHAPTER 4

Legal Protections and Rights

CHAPTER 5

Getting Help

GLOSSARY

FOR MORE INFORMATION

FOR FURTHER READING

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

INTRODUCTION

I n February 2009, Grammy-winning singer Rihanna and her boyfriend, Chris Brown, a singer and actor, were driving home from a party the evening before the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. The couple began to argue, and as the situation escalated, Brown began to hit and bite Rihanna. He punched her repeatedly, choked her, and threatened to kill her. Rihannas screams prompted neighbors in the residential neighborhood where they were driving to call the police. Brown was arrested, and Rihanna, who was nominated for several awards and scheduled to perform the following night at the awards show, was forced to cancel her appearance. Soon after the assault, photos of Rihannas bloody and swollen face were posted online.

Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault and was sentenced to five years of probation and six months of community service. According to Jayson Rodriguezs article for MTV, Rihanna later told ABCs Diane Sawyer, in an interview for 20/20, that she and Brown both grew up in violent households. Her father frequently beat her and her mother. She told Sawyer, I said to myself, Im never gonna date someone like my dad. Never. Rihanna reconciled with Brown after the assault, and Rihanna and Brown were photographed on vacation together in Miami one month later. The couple dated on and off for several years after the assault before Rihanna broke off their relationship for good.

Rihanna, a Grammy-winning singer, was assaulted by her boyfriend Chris Brown, an actor and singer. Rihanna later said in interviews that she grew up in a violent household.

The effects of living in a violent household can reverberate throughout your lifetime. Household violence, also referred to as domestic violence, can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or income. The effects and consequences of household violence are unsettling. According to Safe Horizon, a New Yorkbased victims services agency:

One in four women will experience domestic violence during her lifetime.

Every year, more than three million children witness domestic violence in their homes.

Without counseling, girls who witness domestic violence are more vulnerable to abuse as teens and adults, while boys are more likely to abuse their future wives and children.

Children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to have health problems. They become sick more often, complain of frequent headaches or stomachaches, and are often more tired and lethargic.

No one deserves to live in a violent household. If you find yourself living in a home where violence and abuse are occurring, you can break the cycle by getting help. There are many places to turn to for help for yourself and your family. Local law enforcement agencies can provide you with legal options, such as protective orders, that can keep abusers away from you and your family. In addition, local and national resources, such as domestic abuse hotlines and protective shelters, are available to help you, your family, or a friend find alternative ways of managing life in a violent home. By understanding domestic violence and its effect on your life and the lives of your family members, and by using professional guidance and advice from domestic violence organizations, you can get the help you need to escape a violent home life.

CHAPTER 1

What Is a Violent Household?

H ope Solo, the goalkeeper for the United States womens national soccer team and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was accused of domestic violence in June 2014. The alleged incident began at a family gathering, when Solos husband, former professional football player Jerramy Stevens, angered Solo by refusing to take her to the airport. Several friends and family members were present that evening. As Solo talked to her seventeen-year-old nephew, she grew hostile. According to police reports, Solo had been drinking. She charged at her nephew, tackled him, and called him names. The teenager suffered scratch marks to his arm and cuts to his ear. When the teenagers mother, Solos half sister, intervened to protect her son, Solo reportedly attacked her, too. Solo pleaded not guilty to two gross misdemeanor charges of domestic violence. The charges against her were dismissed in January 2015.

Olympic gold medalist Hope Solo and her husband, Jerramy Stevens, a former professional football player, have both been charged with assault after being involved in numerous domestic violence incidents.

This is not the first time Solo has been involved in a domestic violence altercation. One day before her wedding to Stevens in 2012, Stevens was arrested for fourth-degree domestic violence assault for an incident at Solos home. According to police reports, Solo and Stevens had been drinking alcohol, and a fight broke out. Stevens was arrested but later released for lack of evidence. Solo and another woman each sustained minor injuries. In their report, the police noted that the victims were not cooperating with police.

Violence in the Home

Solos alleged attack on her nephew and half sister is an example of household violence, which is sometimes called domestic violence. Household violence usually refers to violence or abuse that occurs between two or more people who are related, are involved in a relationship with one another and live together, or share a common living space, such as a house or apartment. This can include spouses, nonmarried couples, same-sex couples, family members, parents and children, or even roommates. Although domestic violence has often been used to describe violence and abuse in a household setting, the term household or family violence is now often used to recognize the impacts of violence on other members of a family. Household violence refers to the harm caused when one family member tries to physically or psychologically dominate or control another family member.

SIGNS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ABUSE