Are you a victim of domestic abuse? If not, chances are someone you know is. 1 in 3 romantic partners will go through these trials.
The infectious disease of control sweeps over the minds of many of those we come into contact with every day.
For a Pennsylvania couple, the statistics caught up with them. A brutal encounter, spawned by a tumultuous and uncertain relationship, ended in innocent bloodshed.
When one is living in an environment that seems to be out of control, they seek control in other areas in their life.
Changing Minds gives us insight into the psychology of the matter:
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This is what we see happening in many abuse situations. More times than is talked about, this scenario finds a dark demise.
One such sad incident happened this week at Pennsylvania State University.
CBS News reported:
“Two people were shot dead on the Pennsylvania State University Beaver campus in western Pennsylvania Wednesday afternoon, reports CBS Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania State Police tell the station the shooting is being investigated as a possible murder-suicide.”
The incident was said to have happened on the Center Township campus, but, fortunately, did not involve any students.
Leslie Kelly, 49, was a cook on campus and was lured out to her car by her ex-husband, William Kelly, who said he had Christmas gifts for their children, according to Triblive.
Once William got her alone things took a tragic turn for the worse.
Triblive reported:
“They had a brief conversation, then William Kelly, standing just a few feet away from his estranged ex-wife, pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and fired multiple rounds.”
After Leslie was lying on the ground, the murderous ex pointed the weapon at himself and fired.
Due to the shooting, the campus was closed for the remainder of Wednesday but reopened Thursday with normal hours.
CBS News reported on the response from the school following Leslie Kelly’s untimely death:
“Wednesday evening, Penn State president Eric Barron issued a statement on Twitter which in part read: “Our deepest sympathies go to the victim’s family and friends during this difficult time, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Beaver community.”
A total of 15 shots echoed out that cold afternoon, according to Fox News. The shooting was shocking, but apparently, the rising tension between the couple was nothing new.
Triblive reported:
“We’re getting indications that there was domestic issues, child support issues, and we’re also getting information that he (William Kelly) was harassing her. Lesli Kelly had not pursued a protection form abuse order against her ex-husband, but she had filed multiple harassment complaints about William Kelly with Penn State Beaver campus police”.
Two students and a custodian witnessed the shooting and were encouraged by campus officials to seek counseling.
After the situation was assessed the priority was to contact the 3 children of the deceased parents and make sure the 2 minors made it safely into extended family custody.
Ill fates like the one in Pennsylvania on Wednesday are regretfully not uncommon. Multiple women die every minute in the United States by a romantic partner.
The Atlantic reported:
“Over half of the killings of American women are related to intimate partner violence, with the vast majority of the victims dying at the hands of a current or former romantic partner, according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today.”
These woeful statistics sheds light on the perpetrators we need to be most cautious about, which are not the strangers you encounter walking home at night.
In an effort to reduce domestic violence the CDC recommends “better bystander training and screening in doctors’ offices.”
Gaining awareness of domestic abuse, finding support and safety for those suffering domestic abuse situations will hopefully limit the dismal prognosis.
Selwyn Duke, writing for The New American, gives unique insight into the data surrounding the men who are most likely to be abusive:
“Dr. Patrick Fagan wrote in the research report “Why Religion Matters Even More,” “Men who attended religious services at least weekly were more than 50 percent less likely to commit an act of violence against their partners than were peers who attended only once a year or less. No matter how the data were analyzed, regular attendance at religious services had a strong and statistically significant inverse association with the incidence of domestic abuse.
Just consider feminist dogma. Liberals assert that men will treat women better if we scrap antiquated ideas such as chivalry, thought to be condescending, and passionately embrace notions of equality, which, liberals insist, means teaching boys to treat the sexes the same.”
Every step this country makes back toward conservative values and a belief in one true God is one more drop of hope for the more than 10 million abused partners a year in the United States alone.
It is pertinent to teach our children to respect their spouses and honor their roles in the family. Every member is vital and necessary.
Please let us know in the comments section what you think of the domestic abuse epidemic in our nation, and around the world.