Sexual harassment, workplace violence, school violence, bullying, public violence, campus rape, and sexual assault are all connected to whether there is violence in the home, according to our Lean to the Left podcast guest, Sabrina Osso.
One out of three women will be beaten or raped in a lifetime. One out of five adolescent girls is abused by her boyfriend. One out of three young people will be in an abusive relationship. Fifteen million children witness violence in their own homes each and every year, according to Osso.
"That's just in the U. S. Just the ones that we know about that are documented, if you will," says Osso, founder and CEO of OSSO SAFE…Feel safe where you live, work, and play. She is a TEDx Speaker, Author, and real estate agent who promotes safety and preventing violence in the workplace, schools, and homes.
About 324, 000 pregnant women go into the emergency room not for pregnant related issues before abuse related injuries, she says. One out of seven men is abused.
"By the end of today, four women will be killed by their abusive partners and most of them will be killed after they leave their abusers. So then leaving is not the answer," she contends. "And I would say another statistic, five children in this country are murdered every day at the hands of an abusive parent. And most of the time it's under the watch of a Child Protective Service Agency. So those are statistics that are just off the top of my head. 80 percent of all runaways come from violent homes. And all of this is rooted in the lack of respect in homes, the lack of safety in homes."
Osso says she grew up in a violent household where she suffered physical and mental abuse, as did her mother. Her first-hand experience has helped her develop OssoSafe, her solution to ending violence at home, school, and at work.
Here are some questions we discussed with her:
Q. Just how prevalent is home violence and how does that relate to schools, businesses, and properties?
Q. What are some examples of abuse?
Q. What are some of the symptoms of a would-be abuser in the home?
Q. What are some of the symptoms of a potential victim?
Q. What are some examples of being in a good relationship?
Q. What is the connection between home violence and pornography?
Q. On your Facebook page you say that people who practice BDSM are sex abusers and that children living under those circumstances are victims. You also say that BDSM should be made illegal. First, what is BDSM? And how does that practice affect children?
Q. What do you mean by “we have to practice not being abusive, especially when it comes to children”?
Q. You say that the “legal system” makes horrible matters even worse for the abused child. How is that?
Q. You say “Children need to have agency over their lives way before 18 years of age.” What does this mean?
Q. What is the Osso Safe Certification and the Osso Safe Home Sweet Home Package that your company is introducing into the real estate market?
Q. Explain your YouTube channel: Osso Safe Kids, the Osso Safe Kids’ Cheer/Anthem, and what this has to do with your Osso Safe Certification program.
Q. Tell us about your children’s book, “Home Safe Home, For You and Me”.
Q. What is Osso Safe's vision for the prevention of home violence and the real estate industry?
Q. What are some key takeaways/action steps to promote safety and prevent home violence?
Q. How can people learn more about what you’re doing?
