Domestic violence survivors and advocates marched at an event organized by Miami Gardens police on Saturday to shed light on the issue and try to help others break the cycle.
Dozens attended the Fourth Annual Domestic Violence Awareness Walk dressed in purple, and lifted their voices to shed light on the issue which often happens in the dark.
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They chanted, "End the silence. Stop domestic violence," and, "No excuses for abuse."
"I’m here because the cause is dear to my heart," Tiffany Myers said. "I was in a series of domestic violence relationships, and I thought that was normal."
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She said the abusive pattern played out in all of her romantic relationships, but now she helps others by sharing her story.
"Throughout my early adult years, from one relationship to another. They were all physically abuse, emotionally abusive," Myers said. "It was normal to be called out your name on a daily basis. It was normal to be bruised and hit. I thought that was normal until I began to do a lot of the deep work, got into therapy and did a lot of things and realized that this is not normal."
It's the kind of cycle Miami Gardens police Chief Delma Noel-Pratt says is often kept secret.
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"It’s not discussed enough. It’s not discussed in families. There’s a lot of families that are hiding this disease," Noel-Pratt said.
The walk at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreation Center marks the fourth year of the event which police say is aimed at shedding light on the issue.
The chief said in many cases, the abuse turns deadly.
"It escalates to different levels, and the end result sometimes is death," she said.
Myers said after years of therapy, she was able to get out and now runs her own nonprofit, which links victims to the resources they need to build up the strength to leave.
"We arm them with tools, so when they’re ready to make the decision, they’ll have a community, they’ll have support," she said. "They’ll have the tools necessary to walk away."
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
