Turning Point Advocacy Services is asking: Would you be able to recognize domestic abuse if you saw it?Domestic abuse has an impact on families and communities. While the abuser-victim cycle is often part of a generations-long family legacy, abuse can happen to anyone at any point in their lives.“The best thing we can do as parents, friends, co-workers, or bystanders, is recognize the signs of abuse and take the proper actions,” said Jolynn Houchins, executive director for Turning Point.Houchins is one of the speakers who will be leading a discussion about how to recognize domestic abuse at a free presentation from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, at Scenic Regional Library in Wright City.Parents are encouraged to attend this event with their teens and preteens who are dating or about to.Domestic violence is a pattern of intimidation and control by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats and emotional abuses.Although some people endure a lifetime of abuse in unhealthy relationships, for some, the violence can be fatal. Missouri ranks seventh in the nation in the number of female victims of homicide. Most of those deaths were caused by an intimate partner.“As an organization we see domestic and sexual violence at its worst. It’s a community problem that’s 100 percent preventable if the community works to stop it from happening,” said Houchins. “By learning more, you just might save the life of someone you know.”The nonprofit organization provides a 24/7 hotline, emergency shelter, court advocacy, safety planning, economic empowerment, counseling and resource education to victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse and sex trafficking.For help, call the hotline at 888-873-7233. For more information or to donate, call 636-456-1186, visit turningpointdvs.com, or find Turningpointwmo on Facebook.Scenic Regional Library Wright City is located at 60 Wildcat Drive, Wright City. More information is available at scenicregional.org and the library’s Facebook page. RSVP by calling 636-944-6100, stop by the branch or register online.
Wright City Scenic Regional Library
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