The Numbers Don’t Lie
It’s easy to look away. It’s easy to scroll past, to pretend it’s not happening, to tell yourself that it’s not your problem.
But it is.
Domestic abuse is not a private matter. It’s not just a tragic headline or a statistic you can shake your head at and forget by dinner. It is a war — a war being fought behind closed doors in every country, every city, every neighborhood.
And if you’re not paying attention, if you’re still turning away — you are part of the problem.
On October 7, the world saw Israeli women and children raped, tortured, and kidnapped in the most horrific ways imaginable. And then, almost immediately, the world moved on.
Not just moved on — denied it. Doubted it. Justified it.
Survivors — who barely escaped with their lives — stood up to tell their stories, and instead of being met with compassion, they were met with skepticism, dismissal, and outright denial. “Where’s the proof?” they were asked.
It was a gut punch. A betrayal. An unbearable, sickening deja vu.
Because this is exactly what survivors of domestic abuse have been told for generations.
“Are you sure that’s what happened?”
“Maybe you’re exaggerating.”
“Well, you must have done something to provoke him.”
Every woman who has ever begged to be believed knows this feeling. Every survivor who has watched their abuser walk free knows what it’s like to scream into a void and hear nothing back but silence.
This is not just about October 7. This is about every single woman who has been raped, beaten, tortured — only to have the world question whether it really happened at all.
And if you felt that rage when the world turned its back on Israeli women and children, you should feel it for the millions of people living in domestic war zones every single day.
Maybe it’s easier to believe that abuse is rare. That it happens in other places, to other people. But here’s the truth:
- 1 in 3 women worldwide will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.
- 1 in 4 children will grow up in homes where abuse is the norm.
- In Israel, reports of domestic abuse surged by 315% during COVID-19 lockdowns.
- More than half of female homicide victims worldwide are killed by their current or former partners.
And yet, what do we do?
We let it happen.
We ignore the warning signs. We dismiss survivors. We shame them. We ask why they didn’t leave instead of demanding to know why he did it.
And when they do leave? We force them through a broken legal system that protects abusers more than victims. We make them relive their trauma in courtrooms that don’t care. We let their abusers manipulate the system to keep control over them.
We are failing them. Just like we failed the hostages still being held in Gaza. Just like we failed the women and children whose suffering the world conveniently forgot.
Maybe you think this doesn’t affect you. Maybe you think you don’t know anyone who has suffered like this.
But you do.
It’s your friend. Your coworker. Your neighbor. Your daughter.
Right now, someone you know is covering bruises with makeup. Someone you know is checking their partner’s mood before they speak. Someone you know is praying that tonight won’t be the night he goes too far.
And when she finally tells you, when she finally finds the courage to say, “He’s hurting me” — what will you do?
Will you believe her? Or will you be like the world that turned on Israeli women after October 7 — choosing doubt, choosing indifference, choosing to look away?
Because that choice is everything.
That choice is the difference between life and death.
That choice is the reason some women never make it out alive.
Domestic abuse is not her problem. It is our problem. And if you don’t fight against it, you are complicit.
It’s time to stop looking away. It’s time to listen. It’s time to act.
Because if you don’t, the next victim could be someone you love.
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