Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is abusive behavior in a relationship that helps one partner control the other. There are many types of domestic violence such as physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, and technological abuse (The US Department of Justice, 2022). Abuse is most likely driven by one partner’s desire to have control. Reporting abuse may be hard sometimes because many survivors are fearful of injury, as well as their partner’s response (Psychology Today). Since 1 in 4 women experience partner violence, it is very important for resources to be made available for individuals in need of support (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence).

Knowing that domestic violence presents as a big issue to the community, we sought to find a local cause to support and help do our part in preventing domestic violence. Our research led us to finding a domestic violence support center called The Spring of Tampa Bay.

The Spring has been a community leader for the last 4 decades, helping protect survivors of domestic violence while also supporting them in rebuilding their lives. Since the inception of The Spring by four women in the 1970s, this support center now offers various programs to educate Tampa Bay’s youth and adults, empower and advocate for survivors, and provide safe spaces.

We thought that volunteering at The Spring would be a perfect way to give back to our community. On a bright sunny Saturday morning, we found ourselves with our peers at the donation center helping to organize clothes and various other household items. There was a steady stream of donors coming in which was overwhelming at times. However, we knew that helping to organize these items would help make sure that families who needed them most would get them as soon as possible.

More information about The Spring can be found here: https://thespring.org

The Spring of Tampa Bay 24-Hour Crisis Hotline: (813) 247-SAFE

References:

Domestic violence. The United States Department of Justice. (2022, July 29). Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. (n.d.). Statistics. The Nation's Leading Grassroots Voice on Domestic Violence. Retrieved from https://ncadv.org/STATISTICS

Psychology Today. (n.d.). Domestic violence. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/domestic-violence