By: Lauren Jacques Is street harassment really that big of a deal? It’s just a compliment, right? You’ve probably heard something along those lines before. Of course, it isn’t just a compliment; that’s why it’s called harassment. It is unwarranted, and it can cause all kinds of problems. Street harassment must stop. In the book Friends with Benefits: Rethinking Friendship, Dating & Violence, Shahla Khan states that speaking up against street harassment “is about making sure that everyone has the right to enjoy that spring breeze, golden clouds, and chirping without feeling uncomfortable.” Nobody deserves to be harassed. What Is...
Narcissism And Aggression
By: Rashmi Negi A narcissistic person is defined as self-inflated and thinks of themself as a better person than others. As human beings, it’s healthy to have some self-worth, but narcissists have far more than others. People with high narcissism think they deserve special treatment because of their supposed superiority. They don’t seem to be familiar with terms like “humility” or “compassion.” Without care for others, aggression and behavior with intent to harm others can become an issue. Is There A Connection?The American Psychological Association’s meta-analytic review examined a link between narcissism and aggression. A total of 437 studies involving over...
Domestic Violence Vs. Intimate Partner Violence
By: Lauren Jacques Depending on whom you ask, Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence may be regarded as the same thing: abuse in a romantic relationship. However, others may reserve the term “Intimate Partner Violence” for this definition and use “Domestic Violence” as a broader term for abuse that occurs in the home. Under this second definition, Domestic Violence can include Child Abuse and Elder Abuse, as well as abuse from roommates or other people in the home. Intimate Partner Violence can include violence in non-married relationships. Ron Wallace’s article “Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence: What’s the Difference?” states:...
Financial Abuse: Signs And Warnings
By: Whitney Derman Financial abuse is not talked about nearly enough. It is both terrible on its own and serves to make any other form of abuse worse. This is because it’s a common way for abusers to trap their victims. For example, let’s say someone is being sexually abused by their spouse; getting out of a relationship like that can be scary. But when financial abuse is at play as well, the victim may have no means of getting out of the situation on their own. (Kippert, 2021) Financial abuse, in simple terms, is the act of stealing or...
How To Document Abuse
By: Rashmi Negi It is difficult to come to terms emotionally when you are being abused. However, it is crucial to understand the pattern of your partner’s behavior. When in love, it can be challenging to identify and distinguish between typical relationship problems, when you are being controlled, or even when you are being manipulated. If your partner is violent, it is a clear sign, but emotional or verbal abuse is more subtle and complicated. Write it DownIf you are being abused, it is suggested to notate everything in a notebook. Whenever your partner or abuser is causing you turmoil,...
How Domestic Abuse Affects The Family
By: Whitney Derman Domestic Abuse affects everyone in the family, not just the victim. Although this piece will only mention a few examples, it is important to know “Abusers can be intimate partners, spouses, parents, siblings, or other household members, and they do not need to share a living space with their target in order for a situation to be considered domestic abuse.” (Khan, 2018) This article will address the negative effects of domestic abuse on the witnesses. Even if they are not the direct victims of abuse, witnessing a parent, sibling, or child being abused can negatively affect them...
Abuse Within The LGBTQ+ Community
By: Cali Robins The LGBTQ+ community is a large demographic of individuals who identify outside of heterosexuality or identify outside of the gender that they were assigned at birth. The different types of sexual orientation include homosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, queer, and more. Those who identify as transgender have either transitioned between male and female or do not fit within the means of a binary gender expression and take on the definition of nonbinary. There are quite a few different ways in which members of the LGBTQ+ face abuse, but before explaining what abuses they face, it is imperative...
Confronting Your Abuser: Having The Difficult Conversation With Those Who Are Hurting You Most
By: Lauren Jacques It can be challenging to confront the person who has abused you for many reasons. They may not be aware of how much they have hurt you. You may worry that talking to them could make the abuse worse. You may have accepted the abuse and can’t imagine things changing. No matter how difficult it may be to face your abuser, you deserve to be free from it. Remember: there is nothing you could have done to deserve abuse. It will not be easy, but you can change your life and heal from abuse. When it comes...
Self-Care
By: Rashmi Negi We all experience struggles in our everyday lives, and how you deal with stress and anxiety matters. With busy schedules, it becomes challenging to practice self-care in our daily lives. We are also surrounded by technology that consumes most of our time. It is essential to find the right balance in your busy life by taking care of yourself—mind, body, and soul. Be Mindful of Diet and Eating HabitsWe are busy at home and in the office, but we shouldn’t forget to nourish ourselves. Practice being mindful of your diet and eating habits. If you don’t have...
Cyberbullying: How To Stop, Prevent, And Help The Situation
By: Whitney Derman Bullying has been an issue throughout human history, but with the rise of social media platforms, a relatively new form of bullying has emerged—cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is much different than face-to-face bullying because it can be done anonymously. Abused people often have no way to confront their bully, and abusers often have no way to see the effect of their bullying. It’s also much harder to get away from than in-person bullying. What Makes Cyberbullying Such A Problem?Anonymous bullying means two things: first, bullies have a sense of invincibility because they believe they’ll never get caught via confrontation,...