Catholic University of America releases toolkit to fight domestic violence

According to a 2010 survey by the Centers for Disease Control, more than 1 in 3 women and more than 1 in 4 men in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate or domestic partner in their lifetime.  

Domestic violence also encompasses psychological harm, in addition to physical and sexual harm. According to statistics by the Bureau of Justice, nearly 4 out of 5 victims of domestic violence are female.

The toolkit instructs those close to victims of domestic abuse to believe their friend’s stories and reaffirm that “the abuse is not God’s will.”

The school’s materials instruct those who know of abuse to refer victims to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, noting that “without intervention, abuse often escalates in frequency and severity over time.” They also strongly encourage victims and their partners to seek out counseling for domestic violence, not just couples’ counseling, which can prolong the issue or shift the blame to the victim.

Furthermore, the resources point to the saints as “an ever present help” and suggest several prayers and novenas to St. Jude and to the Holy Spirit for guidance for those dealing with difficult situations.

The university’s materials invite the faithful to join in a moment of solidarity and prayer for the intentions of those suffering from domestic violence at 3:00 p.m. every day in October. Prayers and quotes from Pope Francis and the saints regarding domestic abuse are also included, as well as intentions to pray at the Prayer of the Faithful each Sunday in October.

With these tools as a starting point, The Catholic University of America and the Catholics for Family Peace hope to “inform the Catholic community on ways to promote family peace and to prevent and respond to domestic abuse and to provide resources and promote prayer for all families.”

To learn more visit www.catholicsforfamilypeace.org.