Family Law Theme: Domestic Violence
In preparation for the new season of “Big Little Lies,” which will be released on June 9, the team at Atlanta Divorce Law Group is launching a new blog series to extrapolate numerous family themes addressed in season one. Below is a condensed recap of the second episode.
“Big Little Lies” presents the audience with a number of family law themes, but it is in episode two, “Serious Mothering,” that viewers are first introduced to issues related to domestic violence. This may be one of the first big little lies of the series — that while Celeste and Perry outwardly appear to be the perfect family, the couple is actually dealing with dangerous and violent abuse. As audiences will learn in subsequent episodes, Perry often delivers the first physical blow, but both Perry and Celeste participate in the violence and the triggering of the other partner. Frequently, the physical fights devolve into very aggressive sex. The encounters are difficult to watch, but domestic violence is a family law issue that must be addressed.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, each year, close to 3 million Americans are victims of physical violence by a partner. Domestic violence, also called domestic abuse, is defined as a pattern of behavior in which one partner in an intimate relationship (e.g. marriage) tries to control the other partner. This control can manifest as insults, jealousy, intimidation, or isolation. Fear is also a common trait of domestic abuse; one partner is always fearful about doing or saying the wrong thing around the other.
For Celeste and Perry, the abuse is primarily physical, but domestic violence can also be emotional, verbal, financial, or digital. It can also happen to anyone, no matter their gender, age, race, religion, relationship status, or sexual orientation. If you, or someone you know, is being abused by a partner, there are several resources available such as the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and the Partnership Against Domestic Violence. Atlanta Divorce Law Group can also help the victim(s) in seeking a Temporary Protective Order (TPO).
To read about the family law themes present in the second episode, or to see some foreshadowing present in “Serious Mothering,” be sure to go to AtlantaDivorceLawGroup.com/Blog.
