Did you know that domestic violence is not only physical abuse? Although it is mostly associated with physical harm, domestic violence can also be psychological violence, sexual violence and emotional abuse. The most consistent component in a domestically violent relationship is the obsession with maintaining power and control over the other partner.
This kind of violence can effect anyone, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation and economic status. Many people don’t realize they’re in a domestically violent relationship until it’s too late.
These 3 characters are shown as domestic violence survivors, dealing with physical and mental/verbal abuse, and show the psychological effects that can occur.
1. Jennifer Lopez in Enough
The movie Enough is graphic and intense. It shows how a domestic violence relationship can start with one partner and how it effects the other partner, including friends and family members around.
Jennifer Lopez plays the role of “Slim,” who meets the man of her dreams, Mitch, marries him and has a baby girl. Although everything seemed perfect at first; Mitch soon proved that he was not the man of her dreams. Slim confronts Mitch about cheating, he slaps her, then proceeds to punch her telling her that because he is a man, he can hit a women. He then continues to hit her when she doesn’t’ “comply” with his lifestyle and habits. Slim spends the rest of the movie on the run from her abusive husband with her daughter.
Enough not only shows the graphic details of a physically abusive relationship, but it also shows how the abuse effected Slim psychologically. She would have nightmares of Mitch watching her, attacking her, and finding her after she’s started a new life. She spends so much time paranoid while running away to start a new life away from her abusive husband. Having to change her identity, find a new home every so often, ask others for money, endanger friends and family for lying about her whereabouts and constantly having to keep a guard up to strangers were only a few things Slim had to worry about.
2. Camilla Luddington in Grey’s Anatomy
Greys Anatomy’s, Jo Wilson, played by Camillia Luddington, has also dealt with an abusive relationship. She left her husband, Paul, because he had been hitting her. She moved to a different town, changed her name, dyed her hair, and started a new life for herself. Even though she was still married, she started dating Alex Karev and lied to everyone around her because she feared that her abusive husband would find a way to get to her. Do to the fact her husband had connections with police enforcement, Jo felt the only way to escape him would be to run away and start a new life, no matter how much she worried about him finding her.
3. Nicole Kidman in Big Little Lies
Big Little Lies shows how one woman, Celeste Wright, played by Nicole Kidman, fears her husbands temper. Celeste’s husband, Perry, was much younger the she and all seemed well in the eyes of the public. Everyone believed their relationship was perfect, just as they had made it seem, but when Celeste would do something that Perry didn’t agree with, such as practicing law, their relationship wasn’t as perfect as it had seemed. It took time for Celeste to realize that she was not the problem, but that came after the many beatings and therapy sessions. She tried to move out, paying for a condo on the beach, but before she was able to get away, things took a turn for the worst. (No more spoiler alerts, I promise).
All three characters show how deeply domestic violence effects the person being targeted not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Not only were all three women physically harmed, they were also verbally put down, ruining their self-esteem, confidence, and views on life. These three women felt the need to run away from their lives, thinking that by leaving, things would seem easier, but that’s not the case.
Changing your identity because you fear for your life should never be an option. No one should ever have to live in fear wondering if their next move will be their last. People should not be afraid to ask for help, seek medical treatment, or ask community members for support. There are many services available to those who are suffering and dealing with domestic violence including shelters, referrals, and hotlines.
For anonymous, confidential help available 24/7, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).