Unchecked anger can lead to unjustifiable crime Published Oct. 5, 2006 By Tarsha Storey 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- If a person were to drive his or her car down Frierson Road at over 60 miles per hour, most Shaw members would be quick to not only report the incident, but also cite how dangerous this crime could be. Just like excessive speeding, domestic violence is also a dangerous crime. Unfortunately, this crime all too often goes unreported, said Patti Busser, 20th Medical Operations Squadron Family Advocacy outreach manager. Victims and abusers may try to justify the behavior because of certain actions such as infidelity, immaturity, jealousy or insecurity and think they should not report the behavior, said Cheryl Christmas, 20th Medical Operations Squadron Family Advocacy treatment manager. "Don't wait till violence happens. Stop it now -- 70 percent of homicides are caused by domestic violence," said Ms. Busser. There are two basic reasons for domestic violence -- a coping reaction to some situation of anger or a person's desire to control their spouse or partner, Ms. Busser said. Domestic violence can start out small and may start from a perfectly harmless situation, Ms. Busser said. It can start with a playful activity such as wrestling or tickling. One person may not be happy with the situation and become angry, causing domestic violence as a coping reaction. The other reason for domestic violence may stem from issues of control. Controling behavior can be considered restrictions or limits on things like time with family or friends, phone access, financial resources or medical services. It can even be a threat from the abuser to harm himself or herself. While nothing physical may have happened yet, violence can still be there and lead to a physical altercation, Ms. Christmas said. A lot of victims feel it is a one-time situation, but once you cross the line, it can get more intense and can happen again. One-time situations are the exception. No matter what, you cannot excuse the behavior, Ms. Christmas said."Too often we hear excuses for why domestic violence occurred. Someone was cheating on their spouse or partner, someone spent travel reimbursement money, the couple was drinking and things got out of control. The fact is, domestic violence is a crime," Ms. Busser said. Domestic violence can happen to anyone, male or female. Some victims suffer from symptoms similar to those described by soldiers suffering from combat fatigue, Ms. Busser said. Some of the symptoms are: fear, shame, low self-esteem, depression, guilt, isolation and poor physical condition such as exhaustion, stress, hunger or physical injuries Ms. Christmas also said children can unwittingly become pawns or victims in situations of violence. Their sense of security may be damaged by the conflicts, even if the violence is not aimed at them. Also, it can lead to children repeating the behavior in their own relationships many years down the road.