MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- "I think it was a tragedy for me to be in my twenties and not even realize that violence was abnormal. My self-image was terrible ... I had come to believe that I was a really bad person and that I deserved to be beaten."
- Anonymous Victim
Domestic violence is a problem that plagues many households. Residents aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni are afforded the opportunity to not only learn about the problem, but also get the help needed to stop it.
The month of October is designated Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the theme of this year's awareness month is "Preventing Violence by Promoting the Family."
"This year we have decided to have a different approach with getting the domestic violence awareness message out," said Eli Brown, victim advocate and coordinator of the event. "We want to stress intervention for the whole family this year."
The scheduled activities for the month consist of a 5-kilometer walk/run, couples seminar, Tuesday tune-ups focusing on domestic violence, raffle giveaway, a proclamation signing declaring the month of October Domestic Violence Awareness Month and a free calendar with ideas for family activities as well as the events of the month.
"Here at Marine Corps Community Services Intervention and Treatment Branch we try to give couples the tools to make positive strides in the right direction. The calendar has great ideas to work off of," said Brown.
According to Brown, some aboard the Station may not even realize that the problem exists here.
In the past two years there have been 30 reported cases aboard here, said Brown. "You might think that number is small, but we all know this is not a big Station."
In Browns' opinion, a big part of the problem is that spouses are either scared to get help or they have had a past with domestic violence and do not realize the problem it creates.
"For some reason people have this misconception that if they report the problem then we will rush to their house and take their kids away," said Brown. "The last thing we want to do is split a family up we just want to help the family get better."
"In many cases one of the spouses has grown up in an abusive home and that is what they're used to," said Brown.
In a recent study, the Marine Corps' overall number of substantiated domestic violence cases gone down in the past few years.
"As a counselor it's hard to say if you are getting the message out," admitted Brown. "We try as hard as we can and just hope we are reaching as many people as we can."
The Station has proved it does not take domestic violence lightly and continues with the fight to prevent it.
"In my opinion domestic violence awareness should be a year-round thing," said Brown.