Like many of you, we have been following the tragic story of Gabby Petito and extend sincere sympathy to the Petito Family as we mourn her murder. Earlier today it was announced and confirmed that Gabby died by strangulation.
The widespread news over the past weeks, along with the nature of social media related to this tragedy, has cast a bright light on domestic violence. With the announcement today also came a reminder that thousands of domestic violence and missing person cases occur annually; these crimes affect people in every and all communities. However, the Instagram posts, the selfies that we have all come to relate to within this story has felt familiar to many of us with children and/or grandchildren. Although still, it may be unimaginable to think about our teen/young adult being in an abusive relationship yet, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men are victims of domestic violence in their lifetime. Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of death for women under 44.
At 180 we know that strangulation is one of the most lethal forms of domestic violence as unconsciousness may occur within seconds and death within minutes. Power and control are underlying factors in this violent act, and the batterer uses strangulation to demonstrate control. We have created the following brochure for members of our community to guide conversation and become aware of this form of domestic violence. We distribute this educational material far and wide especially through our police departments and all area hospitals.
Link to PDF
Because Gabby was a young adult, we would like to draw your attention to the areas within our website that have resources designated to help guide conversation with young people in your life. Please visit:
- Information about Strangulation
- Information on Teen Dating Violence
- Youth Education & Community Outreach
- 2NDFLOOR.org
180 remains steadfast in our mission to end domestic violence in Monmouth County. Our work is made possible by the generosity and volunteerism of our community. 180 is a place of empowerment, hope, safety & comfort for thousands of Monmouth County families and we thank you for your support.