Hiding In Plain Sight

David Spears
4/20/16
ENGL1020
Elizabeth Kent

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Preface
On this project, I am emphasizing my research on the hidden and overlooked interviews
in a case of domestic violence. I am focusing on events that have taken place that have been
forgotten. A lot of people say that there is attention paid to domestic violence, but is it really
being viewed as important? The point is that people dont suspect domestic violence like it
should be detected. At some point, it will be learned that domestic violent knows no sexual
orientation. I will also show that it can affect a family in any type of household. Overlooked
domestic violence can put a dent in so many lives , even more than just the victims.

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1. Article
2. Interview
3. Letter
4. Editorial
5. Statistics
6. Ad

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NFL domestic violence programs shift

focus
USA Today June 28,2015 Lindsay Jones
So at this time, training camps are starting after the most controversial offseason ever.
The story behind this is that not too long ago there were two controversial events involving two
NFL players partaking in domestic violence. Greg Hardy and Ray Rice. Now everyone has heard
about Ray Rice and his unfair suspension due to his first offense, but Greg Hardy was involved
in multiple domestic violence scandals. So due to recent history the NFL is trying to crack down
on this issue by being extra careful. This year's education program differs from the 2014
sessions provided after the league's domestic violence crisis last season. The emphasis a year ago
was about the basic definitions of domestic violence and sexual assault, USA Lindsay Jones
reports. The current iteration is meant to be a natural progression, with a focus on how these
type of crimes affect both victims and perpetrators, their families and teams, said Dwight Hollier,
the NFL's vice president of wellness and clinical services. The goal is to get them to see what
more can be affected by domestic violence. They are discussing family affects. The NFL has

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received plenty of people that have been through this situation. Most of them have had to live
through this type of situation with parents being involved in abusive domestic relationships.
One constant theme is how players can intervene if they think a family member or teammate is
in an abusive relationship, as a victim or perpetrator. (USA Today) This statement shows how
much concern there is to stop abuse as the NFL cosigns on ending domestic violence.

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Home gone wrong.

CBS News March 17, 2013 Jim Axelrod
This interview is featuring a woman disguising herself named Jessica. She has been a
victim for years and is finally talking about her fight with her husband. Jessica has had to give up
what she wants due to the mood of her husband. She has been unselfish throughout her marriage.
There is a part of the interview that made me cringe but also proves that this is an overlooked
issue. I was a prisoner in my own home. I couldn't look out the window. My mom was in the
hospital for surgery. I couldn't go to the hospital to see my mother unless he was with me,
Jessica states. What do you mean you couldn't go? Jim questioned. Jessica continues, I wasn't
allowed to. There was cameras inside my house so he could watch my every move. My phone
was tapped. This says a lot about her situation. She was being withheld from seeing her
hospitalized mother and her mother had no clue about the situation. It is not brought to the
forefront enough for people to just do something about it. It has to be brought to light. Jessica
talks about lots about how phones were tapped into and how she was not allowed to make any
independent moves. At this time, she was pregnant. This is where it got worse. Neighbors
ignored the whole time this abuse took place. As time passed everyone turned a blind eye. He
tried to excuse his abuse with comments that he loved her when really and truly he was abusing
his power.

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David: How would you say the topic of domestic violence has been treated.
Deborah: I feel as if people dont pay attention to this topic as much.
David: Back when you only had two children, was this a threat to you?
Deborah: More like a reality.
David: Explain.
Deborah: I had two jobs and two kids. The father of my first child was a man who if he
didnt get his way he decided to lay his hands on me. If was after that when I decided to leave.
David: So this was just unexpected?
Deborah: Very. This was something I didnt see coming until my children were walking.
Now my kids are protective of me.

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Stopping the Silence: My Tool to Escape From

Domestic Violence and to Find Liberty and Justice
Dear Judge Goldberg,

I am aware that there is a case that is being handled related to domestic abuse. I understand that
you are handling it but I feel as if there is an overlooking. The case, the people vs. Frankie
Arena, seems one sided. He has been off the hook following recent events. There seems to be a
lot of people being off the hook when it comes to domestic violence cases. For example, in this
Frankie Arena case, the partner is claiming that they were still being ignored. The defendant
writes, It is clear that Mr. Arena feels no remorse and no responsibility for his criminal actions.
On June 28, 2001 when I presented this court with a victim impact statement, Mr. Arena tried to
manipulate the court into believing that I was a "crazy ex-boyfriend" who is out for revenge.
The writer is being framed as a crazy person. The picture is being painted the wrong way. He
presented the court with false information about me, and portrayed my escape from DV as the
actions of a mad man. The truth is that I broke free from the DV cycle by following through with
the criminal charges and by keeping no contact with Mr. Arena and his family. I feel as if you
should make an example out of people like them. There needs to be an iron fist. Too many
statistics have been rising due to overlooked cases of violence. Mr. Arena showed no concern

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and no respect for the terms of his probation when he committed the violations. Yet, he feels he
should not be accountable for those crimes. Please do NOT allow Mr. Arena's attempts to
undermine the truth about his crimes from keeping the court from forcefully making him
accountable for his actions. Remand Mr. Arena to jail and show that in our community domestic
violence will not be tolerated. It is your choice to protect communities.
Sincerely,
David

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Domestic Violence Needs Our Attention

When domestic violence is mentioned, people tend to think that they are the last person to
become a victim. It is very common to look at the victim as weak person. Majority of humans
also dont like to admit to when things go wrong. They tend to keep the truth hidden and
problems cornered. However, domestic violence is something that needs to be seen worldwide. It
needs to be dealt with. The editor writes, According to the National Coalition of Domestic
Violence, almost 20 people per minute are the victims of physical violence by an intimate partner
in the United States. Thats one person every three seconds so one person in the time its
taken you to read this sentence. Over one year, that totals more than 10 million men and women
who fall victim to domestic violence. At some point, that has to hit home. This means that the
rate is rising fast and every person on earth has a chance to experience abuse. The have deemed
October as a domestic awareness month but yet there is a struggle to be aware of this issue. And
most victims appear in positions of power. Reportedly there are thousands of hotline calls being
made daily, and thats just the ones who talk about the issues. Its the man pushing his wife into
the wall. Its the girlfriend picking up the kitchen knife and threatening to get her way. Its the
man vowing to hunt his wife down and make her pay if she threatens to leave.(Sw Times) The

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level or threats for a victim can be countless, but if there is even the slightest chance to limit this
threat then lets take the opportunity.

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1.4 million women suffered domestic abuse

last year, ONS figures show

According to ONS, 1.4 million women suffer from domestic abuse. Add that to 700,000 men,
and thats 2.1 billion people on average experience domestic violence. The number of people are
astonishing. So much so, until it sometimes result in death. Alan Travis discusses in his research,
The ONS data also reveals a hidden link between poverty and domestic abuse, with women
living in the poorest households more than three times more likely to be victims of domestic
abuse, including stalking, than those in higher income families. The official statistics on violent
crime and sexual offences in England and Wales, which are published annually, show a positive
picture of a steady long-term decline in violent crime over the past 20 years. The number of
violent incidents in England and Wales has fallen from a peak of 3.8m in 1995 to about 1.3m in
2013/14.With 526 homicides in 2013/14, the murder rate is now at its lowest level since 1989,
when 521 were recorded. Gun and knife crime is also falling. Statistics also prove that alcohol

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has a huge role in domestic violence. New figures on alcohol-fuelled crime, however, show that
the proportion of violent attacks in which drink played a role remains stubbornly at about 53%,
as it has for the last 10 years. Alcohol is reported to be a key factor in incidents between
strangers, two thirds of which were drink-related. It also starts young. At least 43% of kids by
the age of 16 have experienced domestic violence. And most common reason that people dont
tell is because of humiliation.

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NFL PLAYERS SAY NO MORE TO

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL
ASSAULT IN NEW PSA
This is an ad that is sponsored by the NFL. No More has been sponsored ever since the Ray Rice
case back in 2012. At this time people were raising complaints that he was having a light
punishment. Due to the pressure of the people, the always butt kissing Roger Goodell decided to
do something that would ease the communities mind. Now this case was questionable because
this was his only offense, but the Greg Hardy case is being overlooked as we speak, but that is a
whole other paper. The number of sponsors includes NFL players. Nearly two dozen current
and former NFL players stepped up to support the cause in a new series of public service
announcements (PSAs) including:

Aeneas Williams, Alfred Morris, Antonio Gates, Benjamin Watson, Charles Way, Cris Carter,
Curtis Martin, DBrickashaw Ferguson, Dwayne Allen, Dwight Hollier, Eli Manning, James
Thrash, Jason Witten, John Dorenbos, John Lynch, LaVar Arrington, Mark Herzlich, Merton
Hanks, Prince Amukamara, Trent Green, Troy Vincent, and William Gay. (YouTube) This

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commercial aired during Super Bowl 50 and will continue when the NFL season kicks off this
August.

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Cook, Lindsey. "Domestic Violence Is as American as Apple Pie." US News. U.S.News &
World Report, 25 Sept. 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.
"Domestic Violence Victim: "I Was a Prisoner in My Own Home"" CBSNews. CBS
Interactive, 17 Mar. 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.
NFL domestic violence program shifts focus By: Lindsay H. Jones, @bylindsayhjones, USA
TODAY Sports, USA Today, 07347456, JUL 28, 2015
"Stopping the Silence: My Tool to Escape From Domestic Violence and to Find Liberty and
Justice." Letter to Judge Goldberg. 7 Jan. 2003. Http://samuel10011-ivil.tripod.com/id25.html.
23 May 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.
"Super Bowl 50: Domestic Violence PSA." YouTube. No More. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.
Sw Times. "Domestic Violence Needs Our Attention." Editorial. Http://swtimes.com/.
GateHouse Media, 19 Oct. 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.
Travis, Alan. "1.4 Million Women Suffered Domestic Abuse Last Year, ONS Figures Show."
The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 12 Feb. 2015. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.