Reaction Post-Healthy Relationships

                  The topic that most interested me in class was learning about healthy relationships and preventing physical abuse in a relationship. We talked about the various forms of abuse in a relationship and how men are commonly the victims and not only the abusers. This topic interested me because it gave me a new insight into my own relationships. It allows me to ensure that all of my relationships, not just my dating ones, are healthy and thriving. It also interested me because I was able to learn a little bit about my love language and how I prefer to interact in my relationships. I enjoyed being able to interact in the lecture and take something from the lecture that I could incorporate into my personal life. This topic impacts my life because it has caused me to examine the relationships I have in my life and to get rid of those that may be unhealthy for me. I have evaluated friendships, family relationships, and myself as a person in order to make sure that all of my relationships are healthy. This topic also impacts my life because it has shown me healthier ways to deal with conflict. Instead of just screaming and shouting each other, you can take time apart to cool down, come to a mutual agreement, or discuss the disagreement once both people have gotten the chance to think it through. I also learned that it is important to be in the same room while discussing these things and physical contact actually helps the situation. This topic is important to public health because every year there are a lot of cases of physical abuse, and most of those come from people we are closest to. By informing the public of the dangers of an abusive relationship and what constitutes an abusive relationship, these people are more likely to evaluate and be cautious of those they are close to. Also, it shows the public that just because you are in a relationship with somebody, doesn't mean they can't harm you. Most people are afraid to leave an abusive relationship because they think the person loves them, they can’t support themselves, and they think it won’t happen again or the behavior will change. I think that the public should be more aware of abusive relationships and there should be more supports within the public for people to turn to. A question I have regarding this topic is what are some supports that people can turn to within society to help them when they are in an abusive relationship? How can these supports prevent the abuser from striking again? It is very difficult to prevent abuse once the abuser begins, so how can a victim’s family also be protected when the situation does not end well?