CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When it comes to domestic violence awareness and outreach in the community, WCNC Charlotte is working to cast a light on a dark and sometimes overlooked truth.
So far this year, more than 50 people have died from domestic violence in North Carolina, according to N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein.
The staggering statistic is prompting local advocates to speak out.
Supporting survivors of domestic violence is personal for Charlottean Melody Gross after she said she faced the abuse herself.
"My experience with domestic violence started, even as a child, witnessing it with a lot of the women in my family experiencing it," Gross said. "Initially, I thought that would not happen to me, but then I moved to Charlotte from New York and got into a relationship that eventually turned violent and it was a scary time.”
Now she works to advocate for other survivors and teach businesses and individuals the signs to watch for.
"That person isn't doing the same things that they used to do," Gross said. "Maybe they're not wearing the same things, or their partner or spouse are constantly with them, or constantly calling, so they never feel like they have alone time.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), intimate partner violence affects millions of people in the United States each year with about 41 percent of women and 26 percent of men reportedly experiencing sexual or physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner.
Gross said that for survivors, knowing they're not alone is sometimes the first step to getting help.
"The biggest thing I would say is create a safety plan. What are the steps that you need or what are the resources you need to escape," Gross said. "So, creating that safety plan is really a priority to,o and also, lastly, just to know that you're not alone as much as the person tells you that you're absolutely not alone and the other side of it is so beautiful.”
If you or a loved one is facing domestic violence, help is readily available. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. Resources for help are available in both North Carolina and South Carolina.
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