It Starts with Respect: Domestic Violence Awareness Month

  • Published
  • By Lauren Harper
  • 319th Medical Operations Squadron Behavioral Health Flight
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This year's theme is "It Starts with Respect: Live by Core Values to Keep Your Relationship Health and Strong" and it is a great time to consider how our core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do apply to our relationships.

On the job, our leaders inform us of the requirements of our position so that we can strive to achieve each parameter with excellence. Relationships don't come with a job description, so achieving excellence can be more challenging.

Our first core value of "Integrity" is a foundational place to start. Healthy relationships are framed around honesty, respect, and trustworthiness. This can take effort, as it may be easier to lie at times, but as per our base axiom, nothing worth having is ever easy. Healthy relationships do not just occur; it takes considerable work to create, maintain, and nurture a healthy relationship.

Creating boundaries is also an essential task. Both people in the relationship need their own support systems outside of each other, privacy, space, and the freedom to pursue their own interests. Valuing the equality of both people is a key point to consider when establishing your relationship's boundaries. A healthy relationship is based on respect for each other, not control over each other.

All relationships go through tough times, but striving to implement our core values as the basis for conflict negotiation can increase the health of a relationship. Allowing relational conflicts to escalate to domestic abuse does not epitomize any of the core values of the Air Force. No one deserves to be abused, and if you are thinking that your partner does, it is an excellent time to consider working on developing some relational, anger management, and de-escalation skills by contacting your on base   Family Advocacy at 747-6806 behavioral health program at 747-4460; or utilize resources listed at militaryonesource.com.

Domestic abuse affects more than just the two people in the relationship. Children learn about relationships by watching their parents. Children also experience long-term health consequences, behavior problems, and difficulty learning in school when they are exposed to domestic abuse. It is never too early to start modeling healthy conflict resolution skills for your children by creating a safe, respectful and communicative relationship with your partner.

Domestic abuse can become fatal, and it is up to every member of the military community to have the courage to speak up and do the right thing if they know that someone is being abused. You may call the Family Advocacy Program; or Security Forces to report abusive behavior.

The Family Advocacy Program is here to help you apply the Air Force's Core Values to your relationship. Being a Warrior of the North is a 24/7 assignment which applies both on duty and off. May we have the courage to show integrity, put service before self, and achieve excellence in all we do!