(코리아타운뉴스) “Domestic Violence Victims Must Seek Help”

KFAM and CPAF to provide free support

# B (pseudonym), an undocumented resident in the U.S. has suffered from severe consequences due to his father who has issues with anger management. “Any time he gets angry or doesn’t get things his way, he screams and throws stuff in the house,” said B, who has lived in the U.S. for 15 years. “Mom and sister have both been physically abused. He even threatened us with a knife in his hand. I wanted to call the police, but I’ve been holding back in fear since I am not a legal resident.”

# A (pseudonym) immigrated to the U.S. after marrying a second generation Korean-American recently escaped to Los Angeles. Her life was ruined as soon as she moved to the U.S. She said her husband not only had an affair since marriage, he also verbally abused her regularly. She even asked him for a divorce, which he has declined repeatedly. She has ran from home to L.A. to seek professional help.

It has been learned that some victims of domestic violence continue to remain oblivious to the fact that they are being abused. Their lack of information on seeking help also continues to be a repeating issue.

“Many Korean household still believe that letting a domestic violence case pass by will solve the problem,” said Korean American Family Services (KFAM) manager Eun-young Jeong said. “About 70 to 80 percent of those who are now assailants of such a case are ones who’ve been exposed to domestic violence. It’s likely that the level of abuse will only get worse once it starts.”

It is also important to have a standardized definition of domestic violence as well as understanding it in-depth. Most domestic violence cases are assailants asserting authority to control the other members of the family. ▶Verbal abuse ▶Inability to control anger ▶Threatening the family over money ▶Throwing things ▶Physical abuse are all included in examples of domestic vi
olence.

It is important to understand the severity of domestic violence, but what is more essential is the courage to seek help. Counselors advise that domestic violence between spouses often leads to abuse of their children.

KFAM and Center for the Pacific Asian Family (CPAF) are providing free support for the victims of domestic violence. The two organizations are offering a 24-hour hotline in Korean to support and counsel the victims.

“Some in the immigrant households are reluctant to report domestic violence cases because of their status in the country,” said CPAF’s Sowmya Murnpy. “The LAPD will never ask for a status of a person who reported a domestic violence case. Our organization is also providing various support programs for free, including a shelter for the victims for three months.”
▶KFAM hotline: [phone], CPAF: 800-339-3940


By Hyoungjae Kim