|
Preventing Domestic Violence in the Leather/BDSM/Fetish Community
by
National Leather Association-International (NLA-I)
and
Victoria Knight
Copyright ©
NLA-I
National Leather Association-International's Official Statement
On Domestic Violence
The National Leather Association-International (NLA-I) calls
on the leather/ SM/ Fetish community to take lead in reducing
domestic violence through education. No group is free of domestic
battering and abuse; but fear, denial and lack of knowledge have
slowed public response to this serious social problem. The NLA-I is
committed to reducing this violence by attempting:
-
To show that community action can reduce violence.
-
To hold batterers accountable for choosing to be violent.
To encourage victims to take legal action. To deny drugs
or alcohol use as an excuse for battering. To encourage the
batterer to seek treatment and the victim to seek support.
-
To listen and support those who have the courage to tell
us... to help them end their shame and isolation.
-
To educate the legal and social service system about the
difference between consensual SM and domestic violence, to
encourage their appropriate intervention.
-
To take the responsibility of educating our community about
the forms of domestic abuse and its extent and severity.
-
To promote information about where to go for help. Domestic
violence takes many forms: physical violence, isolation,
out right or subtle psychological and emotional abuse,
economic control, sexual abuse and destruction of personal
property. Non-consensual manipulation and assault are not
part of SM. The NLA-I advocates relationships based in personal
responsibility, honesty and integrity...in which power and
pleasure is derived from mutual respect.
Back to NLA-I's Table of Contents
If you are the victim of abuse or domestic violence,
get help now or make a plan to get out.
For 24-hour crisis assistance, please call:
1-800-799-SAFE or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY) for the hearing
impaired.
Abuse can and does happen to anyone and it is not okay.
|
