Silhouette Signs Popping Up All Over The Country — Here’s Why

Silhouette signs are popping up all over the country. If you haven’t seen them yet, there’s still a good chance they’ll be coming to your area in the near future. Based on the colorful display, many would probably assume the signs are part of some type of Halloween decor, however, the symbolism is much more significant.

According to Opposing Views, the signs that are now visible from Texas to other locations along the East Coast initially raised questions as local residents were unsure of the reason for them. Now, it is being reported that the silhouette signs have been posted in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Join the movement to #EndTheSilence about #domesticviolence. Create your photo now at http://t.co/KP4y2x5wQb pic.twitter.com/mJ8RtbJH7T

— Peter Long, Ph.D. (@PeterLongBSC) October 15, 2015

The Baytown Police Department recently took to Facebook with a detailed post describing the significant meaning behind the signs. The Facebook post also included demographical statistics, highlighting the probably of domestic violence victims’ sufferance in the area. The breakdown makes the probability of domestic violence quite clear.

Baytown Police reports and calls for the past 24 hours as of 6:00 a.m., Thursday, October 15, 2015. The next time you’re in a room with six people, think about this:

• One in three women and one in four men experience violence from their partners in their lifetimes.
• One in three teens experience sexual or physical abuse or threats from a boyfriend or girlfriend in one year.
• One in five women are survivors of rape.
• One in two women and one in five men have experienced some form of sexual violence in their lives.
• One in four women and one in six men were sexually abused before the age of 18.

According to Mad World News, the signs come in three different colors, representing those who have suffered from domestic violence. While most people associate this form of violence with women, the truth is there are men who have been victimized as well.

The signs reportedly come in three colors to represent the gender of victims who have suffered: red represents women, blue for men, and purple for victims whose genders are unknown.

“I saw the silhouettes yesterday and wondered what they were. Thank you,” one woman wrote on the Baytown Police Department’s Facebook page.

“If have you driven by the Baytown PD, Municipal Court, and Baytown jail recently, you may have noticed red silhouettes placed around the grounds,” the police department wrote on Facebook. “These silhouettes represent men, women, and children who have died from domestic violence incidents,” the post continued. “These silent victims are from Baytown, Houston, and surrounding communities throughout Texas.”

Although most Americans are probably aware that the entire month of October is dedicated to Domestic Violence Awareness, some are seemingly unaware of how serious the epidemic is nationwide.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), at least one in four women will experience domestic abuse at the hands of a former, present, or future love interest. While many argue that men cannot be victims of domestic abuse, the statistics say otherwise. The probability is far less than the abuse women suffer but still substantial enough to capture the attention of news outlets. It has been reported that one out of seven men will also experience some form of domestic abuse at one some point in their life whether from previous or new love interests, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV).

According to the Winston Chronicle, the signs are also in place as a statement to encourage people to refrain from using silence as an alternative tactic to combat the actual problem. In this particular case, silence could be potentially deadly if the attacker’s volatile tactics get worse with time. Hopefully, victims or loved ones of people who have been victimized will have the courage to speak out because words have the power to save lives.

[Image via Facebook]