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March 11, 2026
As Spring begins this March, we want to take a moment to recognize Women’s History Month. The blooming of flowers and budding of trees marks this important time to celebrate the achievements made, honor the women who have contributed to them, and recognize how the fight continues. Women have experienced violence from men in their intimate and domestic relations since ancient times, and we would be remiss to not reflect on how this history continues to shape the work we do here at Turning Point. Women’s history is everyone’s history, including ours here at Turning Point and in the domestic violence field.
The history of the Domestic Violence movement runs parallel with the women’s history. In Ancient Rome, “wife beating” was viewed as an acceptable and normal part of marital relations, giving rise to the early versions of “rule of thumb,” allowing a husband to beat his wife with a rod as long as it was no greater than the girth of his thumb. This practice eventually became heavily linked to English common law and the colonial life it brought to the United States–contrary to the First Nations who tended to hold women in high regard. It was not until 1871 that the first state rescinded the legal right of men to beat their wives, and it was 11 years later before the first state passed a law to make wife-beating a crime. For hundreds of years violence against women was legal, and it took many more years before it became a crime.
Before the 1970s, domestic violence was seldom discussed, leaving survivors with little to no access to help from law enforcement or the general public. People continued to believe this was a family issue that should be settled at home, in private, and some still thought it was a husband’s right. It was through the domestic violence movement that feminist activists and survivors were able to raise public awareness, provide support and resources, and begin to shift public views and legal policies. Through this second wave of feminism, activists were able to combat the precedent that domestic violence is a private issue between spouses, leading to Women’s Shelters becoming commonplace and, eventually, the first federal policies getting passed in the 1990s with the Violence Against Women Act. The work these early grassroots movements put in to make their voices heard cannot be underscored.
It was during this movement that Turning Point was first founded. In 1980, a few women gathered in a home and firmly decided to take action against intolerable abuse behind closed doors of their friends and neighbors. They arrived at this decision after one woman’s husband physically abused her. When she went to court for help, the judge told her to go home and deal with the “family matter.” This and many other stories prompted the group to start an emergency helpline for victims in the community. As word spread about their work, other concerned volunteers came forward to address the issue of violence against women. Turning Point, Inc. was incorporated in May 1981, and continues its mission of Confronting Domestic Violence in McHenry County 45 years later. We wouldn’t be here without these women who were brave enough to try and protect their friends and neighbors.
Newspaper clippings from 1981 mentioning the newly formed Turning Point, Inc.
It has only been 32 years since the Violence Against Women Act was signed by former President Bush, and women continue to feel the repercussions from these early ideologies and practices every day. While it is important to remember that domestic violence can happen to anyone, we cannot ignore that women continue to experience most types of violence at the highest rates. Women still face gender biases in medicine and law enforcement, lack representation in policy, are offered fewer opportunities for career advancement, and face the ever-looming gender pay gap. In 2024, women earned an average of 85% of what men earned–a number that continues to shrink for women of color. This is an incredibly small and frustrating 4% increase from where the gap was in 2003 (81%). How easy for men, then, to maintain financial power and control over their women partners who have been kept so intentionally financially dependent and small. Women are denied legal help, are ignored in medical settings, and are financially unable to access the resources that do exist. All of these issues are ever interlinked, and leave women across the nation disenfranchised, isolated, and afraid.
While anyone can be a survivor of domestic violence regardless of their gender, some abusive behavior relies on persisting gender roles and biased systems. A partner who chooses to cause harm in a relationship may use these ideas to reinforce their power over the survivor in a number of ways. A man who is causing harm in a relationship may use their physical power over their partner, to physically overpower them or just to threaten and intimidate them in the form of physical abuse. Believing that women are “too emotional” and men are “protectors” or “disciplinarians” has kept survivors from coming forward, and has allowed men to excuse their behaviors. Mental abuse may take the form of manipulation and gaslighting, which a male partner can do by reinforcing these gender roles and making women question their own ability to judge a situation. Stalking can be enabled by a man claiming to need this access to “keep the survivor safe,” sexual abuse might include a man thinking his wife “owes” him sex, verbal abuse might include any number of words used to degrade women. Harmful gender roles, and general sexism, leaks into all types of day-to-day interactions, especially for survivors.
One of the best ways we can help confront these problems is by educating ourselves and those around us. The more people who are educated on topics like gender roles and domestic violence, the more people out there who can call out these toxic behaviors, who can provide support to those who are suffering, and who can raise their voices louder for policy changes. It is unfortunately very easy to find examples of violence, and sexism, in today’s world–and to see these behaviors be excused, laughed at, and encouraged. Many of these problems are systemic, and they can be easy to miss if you aren’t looking for them. Be intentional about reading, listening, following, and subscribing to women, spend time learning about the history that led us here, and support policy changes that continue to confront these issues.
Here at Turning Point, we carry on our work to empower everyone in our community to be safe and healthy in all of their relationships. Inevitably, this work also comes with important education on the feminist lens of domestic violence and all the important work that got us to today. We recognize that we would not be able to do this incredible work without the many women who fought to get us here, and we remember that harmful gender roles and biased policies harm survivors of all genders. To help us further our mission, you can always find ways to give on our website at https://turnpt.org/ways-to-give/. If you or someone you know is struggling, speak to an advocate 24/7 at our helpline 815.338.8081.
To learn more about Women’s History Month, Domestic Violence, or Gender Roles visit any of the following websites: United Nationals Women, Women for Women, Women’s History Month.gov, Women’s History.org, Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, The National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Credits
Tiffany Hutson is the Outreach & Prevention Coordinator at Turning Point Domestic Violence Services. She is a Licensed Social Worker who graduated with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Social Work at Aurora University. Tiffany has been working with teens for most of her career and has a background in school and policy social work. She is dedicated to empowering youth to foster and maintain healthy relationships and healthy selves.
Editor
Mallory Breutzmann, Event & Fundraising Coordinator
