¡Ya Basta! Enough!

— -- DOMESTIC ABUSE

A pent-up anger that only Miguel* could understand led to a game Victoria* feared. To calm whatever fury Miguel felt, he'd corner his nineteen-year-old wife and aim his fist at her, and after taunting her, strike. He intentionally missed most of the time, but kept swinging just to get her reaction. For him, watching her dodge was part of the fun. Sometimes, he'd pound the wall with a knife instead of his fist. What was certain was that the mist that sprayed from his breath as he yelled always reeked of beer. And after he spit on her, as he often did, so did her face and clothes. And he never let up, even when she was carrying his child. At five months pregnant, a well-placed blow to her temple caused her to lose consciousness and fall to the floor.

There were no signs that the handsome young man she'd met at the local San Antonio public pool when she was 15 would turn out to be such a savage. She was charmed by his winning personality, long hair and the muscular physique, and their innocent chatting eventually became sexual. But when Victoria's parents discovered Miguel had taken her virginity, they forced the teenagers to marry. It wasn't until the newlyweds moved into their own place after spending several months living with Victoria's parents that he became controlling and violent.

According to the Department of Justice, domestic violence is "a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner." The abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional or economic. Although the latest statistics indicate that a small percentage of men are abused, women bear the brunt of severe injuries and are more likely to fear for their lives.

According to figures from Bureau of Justice Statistics, about 510,970 American women over age 12 experienced physical partner abuse in the five-year period up to 2005. This situation is not better for latin women of the United States. During that same period, it is estimated that more than 70,000 hispanic women over age 12, experienced domestic abuse. "It's one of the least reported incidents," says Angela Londoño-McConnell, Ph.D, a psychologist specializing in abusive relationships. She adds: "In our Hispanic community especially, there are social pressures and cultural beliefs that it's not OK to talk about our dirty laundry, or many times there are women who are here illegally and fear deportation. The actual rates may be higher."