Criminal Defense Attorney Alexis Austin Discusses Rise in Domestic Violence Near Holidays

The holiday season is stressful for many people. Seasonal purchases put a strain on budgets, and family and social expectations can be overwhelming. When emotional pressures mount, the likelihood of domestic violence increases.

Victims of abuse frequently find themselves confronted with a tangled web of complications. Meanwhile, individuals charged with domestic violence may face a slew of potentially life-altering personal and legal consequences. Colorado Springs criminal defense attorney, Alexis Austin of Right Law Group, discusses the troubling rise in domestic violence around the holidays.

Domestic Violence Around the United States

Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury among women aged 15 to 44 in the United States. One out of every four American women will experience domestic violence during her lifetime. That equates to between three and four million women being beaten in their homes each year.

If you are an abuse victim of domestic violence, you should contact your local police department immediately. If you are charged with a Colorado domestic violence crime, you are entitled to defend yourself against your charges, and you should consult with a Colorado Springs Criminal Defense Attorney to ensure that your legal rights are fully protected.

Holiday Domestic Violence Affects Everyone

Domestic violence affects anyone regardless of age, gender, race, religion, education, or class. It may surprise you to learn that, while people are naturally more cautious with casual dating partners, the person closest to them—such as a spouse or long-time romantic partner—is frequently the one who victimizes them.

Many people erroneously believe that domestic violence only affects women in heterosexual couples. However, one estimate indicates that nearly 40 percent of domestic violence victims are males. While male domestic abuse victims may be physically stronger than their female partners, escaping violence in their domestic relationships can be difficult. Both sexes are hesitant to report domestic violence, either out of fear of exacerbating an already dangerous situation or embarrassment about their predicament.

For abused men, the prospect of reporting can be even more discouraging as the support resources available to women are unavailable to men. Furthermore, male victims face increased police scrutiny and more difficult legal obstacles, particularly when attempting to obtain custody of their children from a violently abusive mother.

How Holidays Trigger Domestic Violence Events

Individuals who commit violent acts against their spouses, domestic partners, or children may attempt to blame their victims for the abuse, blaming them for being slothful, unfaithful, or in some other way intolerably deficient. Domestic abusers’ domestic violence crimes may be influenced by genetic, emotional, psychological, and environmental factors, and these factors are frequently combined in complex ways, complicating the process of isolating critical causes.

Among the numerous factors that contribute to the escalation of emotions and subsequent violent acts against family members are the following:

• Abuse of drugs or alcohol

• Stress at work or home

• Job loss or another type of loss

• Financial anxiety

Compounding one or more of the issues mentioned above are common holiday stressors that can add to the difficulties in controlling behavioral responses to emotional triggers, and other obstacles can be a recipe for domestic violence during the holidays. If you have been charged with domestic abuse during the holidays or at any other time, you have a legal right to obtain skilled defense for your case with a Colorado Springs criminal defense attorney.