Domestic violence advocates work to end stigma

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and local organizations want survivors to know they’re not alone — not just for a month, but all year.

Advocates say the stigma around the term needs to be dropped because instances of domestic violence occur everywhere and every day.

“If it makes you uncomfortable, then there’s something wrong with it,” said Melissa Snyder, a survivor and founder of Stop the Silence.

Also known as DV, 42% of South Carolina women and 29% of men experience some kind of physical abuse from a partner, according to statistics from the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

Snyder, who launched her own organization after experiencing abuse, said domestic violence often begins with power and control.

“He was very calculated in what he did,” she said. “He gave me an iPhone at one point, but that iPhone, he set up for me. He had the passwords to my bank accounts, to my camera, my Alexa.”

Snyder suggests that anyone who find themself in a similar situation should record every interaction and file police reports to build a case against their abuser.

The Family Justice Center of Horry and Georgetown Counties says domestic violence can appear in other forms as well.

“If you start to feel something in your gut that just does not feel right about the relationship, you’re probably right,” Executive Director Debi DeBruyn said.

The center offers services including a crisis line, case management, therapy and court advocacy.

Since domestic violence can affect people at any age, the Children’s Recovery Center works to care for its youngest victims.

“The more we talk about it, the more out there you’re going to find a victim who previously was scared to come forward,” Executive Director Louise Carson. “You can empower someone to come forward by putting the resources in front of them.”

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Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Adrianna is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Keep up with Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook , and X, formerly Twitter . You can also read more of her work, here .

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