In the United States, on average, 20 men and women are physically abused by an intimate partner, every minute. Twenty thousand phone calls are made to domestic violence hotlines nationwide, every day. Intimate partner violence accounts for 15 percent of all violent crime, every year.
Given these staggering statistics, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month is held every October to raise awareness of domestic violence, acknowledge its survivors, and give a voice to its victims.
“The 2020 campaign, 'United to End Domestic Abuse,' makes a stand: The military respects, supports, and defends victims of domestic abuse,” said Amy A. Trahan, the Family Advocacy Program Educator at Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) Oceana.
It is important to realize that anyone can be an abuser. Domestic violence occurs in every community and affects everyone regardless of age, gender, race, religion, or nationality. It is important for Sailors to pay attention to each other and recognize if a fellow shipmate may need help.
“Pay attention to personality changes,” said Trahan. “If you see any of the following, it may be a cause for alarm, and it’s okay to ask if they are okay, and if they feel safe.
• Their partner puts them down in front of other people.
• They are constantly worried about making their partner angry.
• They make excuses for their partner’s behavior.
• Their partner is extremely jealous or possessive.
• They have unexplained marks or injuries.
• They’ve stopped connecting with friends and family.
• They are depressed or anxious.
If you think that they may be experiencing domestic abuse, do not pressure them to leave. Instead, tell them you are there for them and that you can help them seek outside support when they are ready.”
Onboard Naval Air Station Oceana, Sailors and their families can reach out to the Family Advocacy Program (FAP) at 757-433-2555 or FFSC Oceana at 757-433-2912 for resources and training opportunities on how to effectively combat domestic violence.
“The Family Advocacy Program provides clinical assessment, treatment and services for service members and their families involved in allegations of domestic abuse and child abuse,” said Chief Information Systems Technician Hansly Bruno, the FAP coordinator onboard Naval Air Station Oceana. “The goal of the Family Advocacy Program is to prevent domestic violence by encouraging people to examine their own behavior and take steps to learn and practice healthier behaviors. I treat every case as an opportunity to educate Sailors on what constitutes domestic violence, and what steps they can take to break the cycle.”
Sailors looking to get a better understanding on what domestic violence looks like and ways they can prevent it from happening to them or their shipmates can also attend a variety of different courses that teach healthy relationship skills at FFSC on base.
“Education and prevention is key,” said Trahan. “Knowledge is power.”
Fleet and Family Support Center offers a variety of different classes for Sailors and their families to bring awareness and promote prevention.
These classes include:
• Family Violence Overview
• Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention
• Building Effective Anger Management Skills (BEAMS)
• Stress Management
• Personal Communication
• Couples Workshop
• Building Healthy Relationships
• Love Thinks
• Parenting Classes
• New Parents Support Program
Sailors can visit the Naval Air Station Oceana Facebook page to view FFSC’s current class schedule or call FFSC to inquire about the dates and times of the classes offered. Sailors can also access training and resources on domestic violence on My Navy Portal, under the FAP tab.
“Knowledge is power, and understanding your reporting options for domestic abuse can help make the process of reporting give the best possible outcome,” said Trahan. “Sailors are mandated reporters!”
The Navy is committed to addressing and ending domestic violence an offers victims two different reporting options for getting help; either a restricted report or an unrestricted report. Understanding the difference between the two is important when choosing which option is best for you.
“With a restricted report, military law enforcement and the command will not be notified,” said Trahan. “A restricted report can be made to FAP Victim advocates, FAP clinicians, and health care providers."
Making a restricted report means:
• Law enforcement is not notified.
• Command is not involved.
• You have access to the full range of FAP services, including medical care, counseling, and support from a victim advocate who will work with you to develop a safety plan and identify your next steps, including pursuing options outside the military system.
“Chaplains are also a confidential resource, but you cannot officially file a report with a chaplain, but they will give you a warm handoff to FAP services,” said Trahan.
In cases of child abuse, restricted reporting is not an option. Cases of child abuse must be an unrestricted report and must be reported to law enforcement and child protective services.
“With an unrestricted report, a victim of domestic abuse or any concerned person may notify the following of the abuse incident: chain of command, FAP, or military law enforcement,” said Trahan.
Making an unrestricted report means:
• Law enforcement will conduct an investigation of the incident, which will include contacting the alleged offender.
• Command will be notified and may take administrative action against the alleged offender.
• You have access to support and protection from the command, such as No Contact Order or a Military Protective Order.
• You have access to the full range of FAP services, including medical care, counseling, and support from a victim advocate who will work with you to develop a safety plan and identify your next steps.
• You have access to legal services.
• You can receive assistance in applying for transitional compensation, if applicable.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Use the resources available to you. Don’t be afraid to reach out to a fellow shipmate if you believe they need help. It might be a difficult conversation, but it might save a life.
“Ask them how you can best support them,” said Trahan. “Assure them they are not alone. There are so many here in our military community who will lift you up and support you. You can call FFSC, ask for FAP, or speak with a non-medical counselor for help navigating what can be a stressful, but important time as a friend of somebody who is in a domestic abuse situation.”
If you are a victim of domestic violence or know someone who is a victim of domestic violence, there is a 24/7-phone line you can call at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) to get help or to find resources to help others.
If you are in immediate danger call 911.
You can also visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website, thehotline.org, at anytime to chat with a representative online or to find more information and resources to help combat domestic violence.
Sailors can also contact Navy domestic abuse victim advocates after hours at 757-438-4180.
“As an active duty spouse of nearly 27 years, I have great pride for our military community,” said Trahan. “There is no greater joy for me than to help my fellow military community to thrive and to live in a happy, safe, and healthy environment. This is why I love the job that I do so much as the Family Violence Prevention Educator here at FFSC Oceana. I have stated a couple times throughout this interview that knowledge is power, and I truly, truly believe that. My job, no my passion, is to arm every single service member as well as their families with all the powerful knowledge that I can provide to them. This knowledge will help each and every one of them live their lives to their healthiest, their happiest, and to the fullest of their capabilities utilizing those valuable life skills they have proactively armed themselves with.”
| Date Taken: | 10.15.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 10.19.2020 13:25 |
| Story ID: | 381232 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
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This work, NAS Oceana Recognizes National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, by PO2 Michael Botts, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
