Domestic Abuse: How To Avoid Becoming A Victim

Does The NFL Have A Domestic Abuse Problem?

The media has been in an uproar recently over two prominent cases of domestic abuse in the National Football League. Ray McDonald, a defensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers, was arrested by San Jose police officers in the early hours of August 31, 2014 and charged with domestic violence. According to police, McDonald got into a scuffle with his fiancée at a birthday party being held at his home. McDonald’s fiancée, who is ten weeks pregnant, had visible bruises on her neck and arms.

The more notable recent domestic violence case in the NFL is the one against another Ray: former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice. Back in February, Rice and his then-fiancee Janay Palmer were both arrested and charged with assault at a casino in Atlantic City as a result of an altercation that took place in the casino’s elevator. A video surfaced in late February of Rice dragging an unconscious Palmer out of the elevator. Although Rice avoided prosecution, his two-game NFL suspension was considered a relatively light punishment and was widely criticized by the media and the general public. On September 8, 2014, TMZ released a disturbing video that showed Rice viciously punching his fiancée in the face. A few hours later, Rice was cut from the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely from the National Football League.

Domestic Abuse: How To Avoid Becoming A Victim

The cases involving Ray McDonald and Ray Rice are both extremely tragic for everyone involved. Any time a person acts physically violent towards someone they are in a relationship with, it can lead to serious emotional and physical damage. It is important to remember, however, that women are not the only victims of domestic violence: according to a 2010 study by the Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control, over 40% of domestic abuse involving severe physical violence was targeted toward men.

How can people prevent themselves from falling victim to an evil situation like domestic abuse? One way is by hiring a private investigator. A private investigator in Orange County or other parts of California will be able to help clients stop domestic abuse in a few important ways:

• Providing a judge with a written report of domestic abuse evidence. These reports usually contain a great deal of information about a domestic abuse case and will often be enough to convince a judge or jury that violence is occurring in a household or relationship.
• Conducting surveillance services in southern California: Surveillance services are extremely valuable for victims of domestic abuse because they sometimes allow perpetrators of these crimes to be caught in the act. Even if surveillance services don’t catch the abuse taking place, this type of service can prove that a person has been physically victimized by someone close to them.
• Serving a temporary restraining order: In cases where domestic abuse is obvious, a judge will sometimes grant a temporary restraining order, or TRO, which prevents the abuser from getting close to their victim. In order for a TRO to be valid, it must be served on the person being restrained. A professional private investigator will use their experience at tracking people to see that a TRO gets served in a timely manner, to protect their clients from further harm.

There is never an excuse for someone to be physically violent towards a loved one. If you or someone you care about is being physically abused, call a private investigator to help you put an end to this dangerous situation.