We see it happen all the time to people we know, strangers, and even celebrities. Domestic and dating violence continues to be a real problem across all communities.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), more than 10 million Americans experience intimate partner physical violence every year. This includes battery, physical assault, and sexual assault. That's about 20 people every minute. One in three women and one in four men will experience this in their lifetime.
While this type of violence affects everyone, about 76 percent of victims are women. Only about half of these cases are reported to law enforcement. In the end, it's all about power, control, and oppression. One person uses physical abuse to control another. Other forms of abuse include stalking and homicide.
Below you'll find a powerful video believed by many to be a campaign. It has brought a great deal of awareness and contention to the public, and you'll see why.
The Video: "One photo a day in the worst year of my life"
YouTube user fero061982 posted a video of this Serbian woman. She appears fresh faced and content. She is also very beautiful.
fero061982 / YouTube
fero061982 / YouTube
If you keep watching, you'll notice a few changes.
Her eyebrows tense up and she has a pink mark on the side of her face. She appears scared and confused, and it strikes a chord.
fero061982 / YouTube
fero061982 / YouTube
The bruises are more apparent now.
Black eyes are the most obvious type of bruise and if you didn't know before, you know now that it isn't the result of some horrible accident. You can tell that this woman has suffered domestic abuse.
fero061982 / YouTube
fero061982 / YouTube
The look of despair spreads to the rest of her face.
She doesn't have the strength to pretend anymore. We can't speak for her but she looks to us like a woman who feels trapped. Model or not, this scene is heartbreaking.
fero061982 / YouTube
Here are some responses from viewers. Many people were angered.
"I can't say if its real or not...but I can assure you I cannot stand a man who has to be low enough to hit a woman or child, in my eyes not a man at all. I'd love to beat the hell out of a man for doing this, wouldn't be the first time i kicked a man's butt for hitting a woman in front of me." - lee broom
fero061982 / YouTube
Rather than focusing on the message, others chose to argue about the authenticity of the video.
"THIS IS NOT REAL: it's an advert... It has a very strong message but you shouldn't take it and lie to say it's a true story." -Dust Scatter
fero061982 / YouTube
Some articles also focused on the marketing nature of the video.
A writer on the site College Times went as far as saying "But at what point do these so-called viral marketing campaigns just make their organizers look desperate and stupid – or worse, hypocritical?"
To be fair, at the end of the article, they wrote "And you wanna know the truth? I would never have researched any of this information unless I came across that fake viral video to begin with," providing that the "ad" brought them to important research.
fero061982 / YouTube
Like many others, Karen M. wrote about the fact that viewers were more likely to sympathize with an "attractive" woman.
"There are countless studies showing that attractive people are treated more favorably/garner more sympathy than their less attractive counterparts," she highlighted.
"If you are the kind of person to treat people equally regardless of appearance, then I applaud you; the world needs more people like that. Alas, the world we live in really is superficial to an extent, and you'll just have to learn to accept it."
It's important to note that intimate partner physical abuse can be found in all communities — black or white, rich or poor, and everything in between, and a number of viewers spoke passionately on this.
fero061982 / YouTube
The Final Shot: "Help me, I do not know if I will wait for tomorrow."
fero061982 / YouTube
Watch the full video below and let us know what you think.
Source: fero061982
lifebuzz
0 comments:
Post a Comment