October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence (DV) is a complex issue where controversy exists without a doubt. More importantly though, it impacts communities of all backgrounds, including peb haiv Hmoob.

Here are 5 things you need to know about this poster and DV:

1. Physical abuse is not the only type of DV. Even I discovered ones I'd never heard of before. Other types of DV are:

Emotional
Verbal
Sexual
Elderly
Child
Digital
Financial

2. Nearly 1 out of every 2 Asian women reported experiencing physical and/or sexual violence during their lifetime. I have four sisters, and that statistic made me tear up.

3. What’s digital abuse? Everyone has a Facebook and a cell phone now. When someone is being digitally abused, this means being bullied, harassed, or intimidated by the abuser through cell phone monitoring, put downs on their status updates, threatening online contact, etc.

4. The DV Hotlines are not only for victims and survivors. Anyone can call for help or information, whether you are his co-worker, her regular customer, their child, or just a Facebook friend.

Wisconsin Hmong Family Strengthening Helpline
(Formerly Hmong Domestic Violence 24 Hrs Hotline)
1-877-740-4292 (Open 24/7)

National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233 | TTY 1-800-787-3224

5. You would’ve never seen this poster if it hadn’t been for Nancy Xiong. Not only is she the mastermind behind it, she's also a passionate educator & activist on gender based violence. Nancy’s determination is indescribable, and I am so proud to call her my big sister.

You can join her in fighting gender based violence by using #buildingourfuture and posting an image of yourself sharing your thoughts on Abusive International Marriage (AIM) on October 25, 2015. For more information, click here.

5 Things You Need to Know About This Poster