The attorneys at Alongi Law Firm, PLLC, understand the insidious nature of domestic violence and the iron grips in which it can enfold our clients. We offer concrete solutions for removing domestic violence victims and their children from relationships with abusive partners.
However, in order to assist someone with extricating themselves from an abusive relationship, the individual must first acknowledge the perilous nature of the situation and learn to recognize the patterns in the cycle of abusive behavior.
It might have started with a single slap. Sudden, without apparent warning, it’s a shock to one’s system akin to having a bucket of ice water poured over the head. Probably shortly after that first incident, your abuser apologized.
The abuser may have even cried. The victim wants to believe it was a one-off. Victims may even try to justify their abusers’ violence towards them — to themselves and others — by rationalizing that they had done something to deserve it. So the apology gets accepted, victims’ drop their guards and all is well until it happens again.
And it always happens again. In the beginning, the incidents may be spaced out over longer periods, but as the cycle worsens, the violence often intensifies and the peaceful periods are few and far between.
We encourage our clients to recognize escalating behavior patterns that frequently lead to domestic violence even before the abuser first lashes out physically. They include:
— Isolating the victim from friends, family and other support systems
— Going off on verbal rants or insulting a partner or those close to them
— Drinking to intoxication and becoming easily angered
— Extreme jealousy or possessiveness
— Verbal threats of violence
If you recognize these signs in your relationship, we can help. We can file for protective orders along with a petition for divorce, if appropriate.
Don’t tolerate another incident of abuse. Call today and learn how to escape the cycle of violence.