LUBBOCK, Texas — Almost 50% of women in the U.S. experienced sexual and violence abuse and/or stalking by a partner in their life. That’s about 59 million women, according to the National Network to End Domestic Violence.
A Facebook group called ‘The Gathering Place’ is set to host an event called ‘Finding Hope,’ which focuses on women who are in an abusive relationship to create to safe space filled with love and support for them.
“Most women don’t realize that they’re even in a relationship like that. They don’t realize because it starts out with little things like financial abuse or verbal abuse, things like that are just not as clear cut as physical abuse,” said Bethany Harman, the creator of the Gathering Place.
Harman had dealt with being in physically and mentally abusive relationship, and was also trafficked. “I got pregnant, and once I had my daughter, I realized that either I needed to provide a better environment for her, or that I needed to give her up for adoption. And I just, you know, when you hold that baby for the first time, you just can’t let go.”…