DETROIT — October is domestic violence awareness month and it’s important to remind victims they are not alone and that  there are many others who share the same stories.

For many Arab American women, it can be difficult to come forward and discuss domestic violence openly, because the community is so conservative and the subject is a cultural taboo. 

These women still have several places to turn to throughout metro Detroit for help and should take advantage of the services many of them offer victims.  

Domestic violence impacts all communities. According to the Domestic Violence Resource Center, one in four American women (25 percent) has experienced domestic violence in her lifetime. In addition to being physical, domestic violence can include sexual, verbal, emotional, economic or spiritual abuse. In terms of financial abuse, a spouse could try controlling all the financial assets in the marriage. Prohibiting your partner from going to school, or driving is also a form of domestic violence.

Many women may lack knowledge about their legal rights and basic information about what domestic violence constitutes. There are places to get educated on the issue that offer shelter, mental, legal and financial support to victims at no cost.