In the wake of the #MeToo movement, when we as a society have become much more open and adamant about what kind of physical contact is and isn’t okay, one might assume the same type of support and awareness would be extended to those who suffer domestic violence. They also have a hashtag, #SurvivorsSpeak, but my guess is most of us have never encountered it. Why is there no communal reckoning for these victims?
It’s not because this abuse is rare. Our research at the Utah Women & Leadership Project reports that one in three Utah women will experience some form of domestic violence in her lifetime, and 40% of adult homicides in Utah are domestic violence related.