Just Lovely People: The Way We Talk About Domestic Violence is Killing Us

Abusers are often experts at manipulating peers, at presenting a charismatic facade that hides the abuse they may perpetrate against their victims on a regular basis. Often, serious and tragic incidents of domestic violence are portrayed in the media as anomalies, wherein an otherwise 'lovely person' just 'snapped'. Entertainment can still be seen portraying control, jealousy, and abuse as romance. The ways society speaks about domestic violence leaves victims at risk, hampers prevention efforts, and removed responsibility from perpetrators. This course was designed to give the attendees an advanced understanding of the causes and risks associated with domestic violence, as well as offender profiles, barriers to safety and service for victims, how we can begin to change societal responses to domestic violence, and meet victims where they are to help them achieve their individual ideas of safety and justice.