Sharing a home with the members of your family is what a normal life should be like. Living with your parents and siblings or perhaps your partner is supposed to be an affair of love, mutual respect, and caring. Anything other than this and it is not what a happy and fulfilled life with someone is. This is especially the case in satiations where there is some form of domestic violence going on. Violence at home can be triggered by many factors. It can also come in many forms, from physical and sexual to verbal and emotional. What is universal across every case is the fact that the victim is never at fault. It is always the abuser to blame simply because violence towards your family is never the answer for anything, nor the punishment or measure to solve something.

A Modern Problem

Sadly, in the modern world, while other things are progressing and as we are overall advancing as a species, the cases of domestic violence are on the rise. This element of human civilization seems to be regressing each and every year despite numerous efforts and campaigns to limit the amount of domestic violence. While victims are speaking up more than ever, it is hardly any use because the abusers walk away with small punishments and short sentences, only to repeat the crime again, usually at a higher degree. Many examples of domestic homicide and serious cases of physical abuse are caused by repeat offenders. This means the system is bad and that it needs to change, but who can wait for something like that to take place when they are the victims now?

The thing domestic violent victims must do is speak up and seek help and protection from the abuser. It does not matter who it is, the spouse, partner, parent, grandparent…an abuser is an abuser and they do not mean you well if you are subjected to violence by their hand. But reacting harshly may prove counterproductive. In order to help yourself, you have to be smart about it and take legal action. In this article we will tell you how to do this the right way and what the steps to this problem should be. Read on to learn more about this so that you can help a person you care about or perhaps yourself if you ever become the victim. If you already are, react as soon as possible and remain silent no more.

1. Contact Friends and Family

First and foremost, you have to have other people know about your problem and the safest and most productive thing to do is to contact others who care about you. Tell them all about the violence, when it started, what it is, and that you do not feel safe anymore. Apart from them actually being able to help you, they will be able to act as witnesses down the line when the case becomes a legal matter. Your best friends or family members who truly love you can offer you a place to stay until you get back on your feet. It is an important step because you will actually feel safer and that is what matters the most. If you do not feel like you have anyone close to you who can help, there are national, state, and local helplines that are always ready to listen. They help the victims and guide them on what the best course of action is.

2. Contact the Authorities

Just like you have to tell the people in your life about the abuse, you must also file a report to the police. Call 911 when the person starts abusing you and tell them everything about it. If you cannot do it on your own because of fear and retaliation, have a person close to you do it for you. When the authorities are notified, you will have made an additional piece of evidence. If they help you only temporary and the violence stops for a brief period only to happen again, call them again and tell them you have a repeat domestic abuser problem. This will further cement your case and help you seek compensation when you finally take the abuser to a legal battle. Documenting what is happening in as much detail each time is crucial. Make sure to call 911 whenever you feel like it and never ignore any form of repeated violence. If you do, it will only get worse.

3. Get an Attorney

This is the most important step in the actual legal matters of every domestic violence case. You cannot be your own lawyer and defend yourself, not in other types of cases and definitely not in this one. Different attorneys for different case types exist for a good reason. Law is complicated and diverse and it is impossible for one and the same professional to cover multiple sides. Therefore, some specialize in domestic violence affairs. Get in contact with the best one you can find. For this you can ask around in your community or hop online. If you are located in or around LA, you will need a Los Angeles Domestic Violence attorney. Do not wait for long to get your own attorney once you realize that you are a victim of domestic violence. Give them your evidence, show them the injuries if you have them, messages and photos, as well as your previous calling of friends and police. All of this will help the two of you build a case and seek compensation.

4. Remain Strong and Persevere

Last but definitely not least, you must remember to stay strong all the way to the end. You will eventually come out on top if you do everything right. Seeking help from loved ones, calling helplines, and notifying the authorities are the best thing to start with. However, the real battle starts when you get a domestic violence attorney and take the abuser to court. Stay strong, do not go back to where you are being victimized, and NEVER think you are at fault. Nobody deserves any form of violence, let alone at home from someone they thought was always there for them. Once it is over and you win the case, do not make the mistake of ever going back.