April Bishop
I can be one to tell you about Domestic Violence. I have been through it and now I can
recognize when a person is very violent. I experienced domestic violence when I was 21 years old.
I heared about it, but never thought it could happen to me. I thought I was in love with this
person and thought he loved my children, but when the beatings started getting longer and he
wanted me to get rid of my children,I knew it was time to go. I had an apartment in Far Rockaway
and didn't want to get my family involved, but wanted help. So, I proceeded to take my kids to an
In-Laws house and told them I would be back for them. Then, I ran and ran til I got to the airport.
This is where I came across a non-profit organization called Volunteers of America. I let them
know my situation and they helped me. I stayed 60 days away from my apartment, until I build up
enough courage to go back and serve him with a Court Order of Protection and return home.
You think I would not get myself back into a situation like that again. Well, it happen again,
only now I was 33 years old. I met a guy who was going through a similar situation like mine with
his children. We got to talking. Right then and there I should of known that he was woman beater.
I asked him,"What would you do if a woman hits you,"and his response was,"I would beat the
mess out of her."That was a sign right there. We stayed together for eleven months. The beatings
got worse, the bruises on my body got more noticeable, I had to miss days out work until he
finally made me quit. I had lost control of my life and he was in control.
It was so bad that I was on a time clock when I went out. He accused me of talking to people I
didn't even know, til finally I got feed up with not being able to socialize with other people.
He dared not hit me around my children because they knew how to talk about what they saw. I lost my twins and my son because of this situation. How you ask?
I had an open ACS case and I was not suppose to be involved with anyone that was getting high, abusive
or was still indulging in criminal activity, I knew this, and jeoparized my children coming home for love.
That's when I realized nothing was more important to me than my children and my life. I got up,
went to the court house where they had a program called Safe Horizon.
They helped me go through the proceeding of getting my order of protection and finding a safe
haven to get back on my feet. Because I went throught the process of doing what I had to do, not only for myself, but for my children and it was a judge who told me to do this process, he
is doing 4 years in jail.
|
