Ten million Americans experience domestic abuse every year. Ten million. Someone I love and care about is a victim of abuse and has been for nearly twenty years. Odds are you or someone you know is a victim as well. I have learned a lot about domestic abuse over the last two decades and the number one fact I have learned is that most incidents are never reported. Ten million people every year and that number doesn't reflect the full scope of abuse in the US, as many people aren't able to safely share and report their stories. I am a doer. I like to make and fix things. Sadly, I cannot fix things for the person in my life who is being abused. But, I can speak up. And I can sew. And hopefully I can make a difference. (Statistics from the CDC)
I am currently working on a series of quilts dealing with Domestic Abuse.
The first quilt in this series is Isolation.
Finished quilt 16" x 16".
Isolation or exclusion is often the first method an abuser uses to gain control over his/her victim. Abusers do this by limiting who their partner sees, talks to, what they read/watch and even where he/she goes. They can do this by deleting emails, intercepting mail, erasing phone messages, changing any plans the abused may try to make that would connect him/her to others, blocking calls, and lying to and about others. They often use jealousy to justify their actions. You can read more about Isolation and Exclusion
here and
here.
Domestic Violence knows knows no boundaries when it comes to race/gender/sexuality/age/socioeconomic status/geographic location/culture.
Remember, it affects ten million in the US every year. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, please know that the folks at the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1 800 799 SAFE or
thehotline.org) are ready to listen and support you, as well as refer you to a local program or organization. If you observe someone being abused, you can also call the hotline. A good samaritan call can save a life!
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All of the quilts in the Domestic Abuse series so far can be viewed
here.
