The hardest calls for me to run these days are the ones involving domestic violence. None of my coworkers know my secret, I was a victim of domestic violence. I will admit, there were times before my volatile relationship, I would think to myself “why do you call when you are just going to go back”. I couldn’t call because the I lived in the area I worked. The shame and guilt of my coworkers, including the police officers, was paralyzing. After becoming the victim (which I still have a hard time accepting, you know because I went back several times… so how am I victim) we need not worry about why they stayed or why I stayed.
The dynamics of domestic violence are so complex and different for each person, I truly believe it is one of those times you can’t understand until you have experienced it for yourself. So I plead to you, don’t ever question why someone stays, your very partner may be one who has stayed and hearing those words come from your mouth only cuts deeper in the wound. 1 in 4 women will be victims of domestic violence. My safe place was my rig with my partner, so please don’t take away our safe place with your irrelevant questions as to why someone stayed.
– Written by Christina, Paramedic. 11 years in EMS.