While many people may believe that abuse is not a significant problem, the facts paint a different picture. Psychology Today reports that 10 million people are abused by an intimate partner every year. That equates to roughly 20 people abused per minute. Women are more often the victims than men and the predicted number of females in abusive relationships is as high as one in three. The number of males in abusive relationships is slightly lower and sits at one in four, but generally the abuse directed at men is less severe than the violent assaults that women face.
If abuse happens in front of a child, it is often considered to be child abuse. Many people in abusive relationships wonder what will happen to their children if they report the abuse. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has stated that the actions taken involving children depend greatly on how the abuse was reported.
If abuse is reported by another person, Child Protective Services will sometimes take the children away to protect them while an investigation is conducted. This will only happen if a court finds that the child is in immediate danger while in the parent’s care.
If a parent takes his or her children and leaves the abusive home to seek refuge in a family violence shelter, the children will not be taken away. The fact that the parent took steps to move the children to safety shows that they are in good hands and support can be given without removing the kids from their care.