To ask your experience of violence

[TreeBird16]

It occurs to me today that at 34 years old I have never been hit. I have been fortunate enough to have never experienced physical violence or intimidation.

My parents made a conscious decision never to hit and stuck to it. We were never ever given a slap on the leg.

No partner has ever hit me and I have never been bullied or randomly beaten up.

I have never, nor will I ever hit my kids.

I wondering am I unusual in being fortunate in this regard?

Smacked by my mum, but never my dad (who never smacked us, but him shouting was worse).
Smacked by a few teachers at primary school.
My first proper boyfriend knelt on both my hands when I was sitting in a pub and slapped both of my cheeks, hard, because I had the temerity to talk to my cousin's friend who had been standing at the bar.
Punched in the face and had my hair ragged out of my head a few weeks later by said boyfriend's new girlfriend.
My partner of 15 years has never raised a hand to me though.

Attempted strangulation and a kick to the head, plus plenty of scratches and minor thumps. NHS.

Nothing compared to what the people who inflicted them on me have been through, though. Or what others on this thread have experienced

I grew up with 4 siblings, do lots of physical kicking, pulling hair ect.

I was punched twice by an ex when I was in my early 20's. HIDEOUS.

Smacked as a child, punched by Mum on a few occasions up to about age 15.

Fights with feisty little brother from around age 6-10 when we decided to be friends.

Punched and dragged across floor by ex.

I consider myself lucky too, some people go through far worse than my experiences. to others on this thread.

Sometimes smacked by both parents, sometimes hard. Had fists flashed in my face by my father, but under the guise it was lighthearted. Physically assaulted by my father at age 18 for missing my college bus home and then has threats all the way home.

Friend and I weren't involved with, but were inside a pub when an enormous fight broke out. Mornington Crescent, around 50 people, we were separated from each other and hid under tables/behind pillars. Blood up the walls, pools of it on the floor, chairs thrown, a young man had his head stamped on. We stayed after to give first aid and phone the police/ambulance and give witness statements. It was harrowing.

I think I was smacked less than half a dozen times as a child, if that. Had one fight at school. Apart from that, not much else. I have a lot of fear and anxiety about being attacked though- I'm not sure where it comes from, but I'm terrified that I will targeted by a stranger or a partner. I know so many people that it's happened to.

I'm very sorry that so many of you have experienced rape, beatings and other forms of violence.