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domestic-violence

Twitter had a real discussion about the various reasons victims stay in abusive relationships and how they finally find the strength to leave.

When the topic of domestic violence comes up, people are often quick to blame the victim if they are still with their abuser. That’s exactly what happened all over social media on Monday. It didn’t take long for the conversation to go there when video of Ray Rice attacking his now-wife Janay Palmer surfaced online.

People blasted Janay for staying with a man who brutally beat her and ultimately marrying him. They accused her of sticking around for the money. To no one’s surprise FOX News led that charge on TV when contributor Ben Carson jumped to Ray’s defense. “Let’s not all jump on the bandwagon of demonizing this guy,” said Ben. “He obviously has some real problems, and his wife obviously knows that, because she subsequently married him.”

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As support for Ray (or contempt for Janay) continued to build, it stirred up painfully visceral memories for writer Beverly Gooden. As she explained to Mic.com, seeing comments online motivated her to speak up on behalf of people who find themselves trapped in abusive relationships. That’s how she created the #WhyIStayed hashtag.

“I was watching the responses to the TMZ on my timeline, and I noticed a trend. People were asking ‘why did she marry him?’ and ‘why didn’t she leave him,’” Beverly stated, sharing that she’s found herself in the same position as Janay. “When I saw those tweets, my first reaction was shame. The same shame that I felt back when I was in a violent marriage. It’s a sort of guilt that would make me crawl into a shell and remain silent.”

She continued, “But today, for a reason I can’t explain, I’d had enough. I knew I had an answer to everyone’s question of why victims of violence stay. I can’t speak for Janay Rice, I can only speak for me.”

With that Beverly shared her story on Twitter using the #WhyIStayed tag, and it started with her explaining how her abuser went to great lengths to keep her from leaving. In one istance, she literally could not escape because he was in her way.

While her ex was physically blocking her path to freedom, members of her church aided in her mental and emotional captivity.

Eventually, Beverly was able to get out of her abusive relationship, but it was a lot more complicated than simply walking out of the door.

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Sharing her story inspired scores of others to explain what kept them in their own abusive relationships. So many people were talking that #WhyIStayed became a trending topic on Twitter.

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One user summed everything up very succinctly with the following infographic.

At the same time, Beverly’s hashtag spawned another conversation, where survivors spoke on #WhyILeft.

It’s hard for many victims and survivors to step forward with their stories. Being able to do it in 140 characters in a supportive community started a conversation that needs to continue if more women and men (remember: they can suffer abuse, too) are to find their way out of dangerous relationships.

READ MORE:

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Jill Scott: James Brown Was Still Lovable Despite Domestic Violence

D.L. Hughley Apologizes For Calling Columbus Short’s Wife A ‘Thirsty B*tch’ After Her Domestic Violence Allegations

Janay Palmer Inspires #WhyIStayed & #WhyILeft Conversations On Twitter Among Domestic Violence Survivors  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com