Native American Women are disproportionately victimized without justice. This is horribly wrong. Domestic issues of victimization through forced prostitution are swept under the rug, with the prostituted frequently being punished when they are often the true victims. Often discussed dispassionately as a “global problem” with the thought that this sort of thing happens only in underdeveloped or backward nations, it is truly happening in every country and in virtually everyone’s backyard. Hyperbolic? Not particularly; it just depends how you define “backyard.” For the sake of this position, I will broaden it to mean “local community,” and challenge you, dear Reader, to find a community in the United States that does not have at least one instance of violence against women.

I live near a well-known university now, where one would imagine there is a honed security network in place, yet every few months I read about a string of rapes. When I attended college myself, at another well-known and supposedly “exclusive” institution, I was aware of many attacks in various housing areas, all against young women. I know easily a couple dozen unconnected women who were abused as children (and probably the number of my friends and acquaintances who were victimized is actually much higher). Yet I know of only a small handful of men who had comparable issues, and by that I think the number is around three.

And speaking of back yards, Ariel Castro pleaded guilty last month to 937 counts, including the kidnapping of Michelle Knight, Georgina DeJesus and Amanda Berry. He was sentenced to life plus 1,000 years. In spite of the kidnappings occurring in 2002, 2003 and 2004, these young women were kept relatively quietly in a neighborhood that now is removing the visual reminder of these crimes. It is a good time to remember, however, that these horrific crimes continue in neighborhoods across the country (and around the world), in part because society allows them to. While we are all too willing to gasp in horror, shock and dismay when we hear about such crimes, too many ordinary instances of abuse are ignored or treated lightly.

What we need is a gestalt shift, to understand that abuse is never acceptable and, perhaps more importantly, a better path to mental health intervention, prevention and support that could help sick individuals before they cross the line to criminal behavior. In the meantime, while waiting for that pig to fly, it is time to focus on our children and sow the seeds for a more empathic future for all.