I am a resident of Huron, OH, and for the past eight years, my child and I have endured mental trauma. This is not an isolated incident but a reflection of many silent victims suffering across our state due to the lack of recognition for mental abuse in our legal system.

Ohio's current laws do not adequately address or recognize mental abuse as a form of domestic violence. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), 48.4% of women and 48.8% men have experienced at least one psychologically aggressive behavior by an intimate partner during their lifetime nationwide. Yet, Ohio fails to acknowledge this pervasive issue.

Mental abuse can be just as damaging as physical violence, if not more so - it leaves invisible scars that can last a lifetime. The American Psychological Association has found that victims often suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety disorders and other severe psychological conditions.

It is time for Ohio to step up its efforts in protecting its citizens from all forms of domestic violence - including mental abuse. We need legislation that recognizes psychological harm inflicted by abusers and provides adequate support for victims seeking justice.

My son’s father has a history of mental health issues. He has shown my son videos of Santa clause eating babies, terrified him of the government taking him out of school to give him the Covid vaccine, told my son that his teachers and I are being controlled by satan, told him he shouldn’t be going out trick or treating because god wouldn’t approve, taken him out of school early and absconded with him for at one time a week the second time 2 weeks in which the school principal went to the house to try and see my son but they were not there and he was told that they didn’t know where he was, showed him that if you put a babies head in a box and let it grow the baby will have a box shaped head, he made him throw his underwear out in the front yard when he had an accident to defame him, had him hold down a quail and chop its head off, made him believe the earth is flat, and made him believe that he is god and that’s why he calls him “father” amongst many other delusions that would send chills up any mothers spine. My son’s PCP and counselor have called children services. How ever because it is mental abuse children services told me there is nothing they can do Ohio doesn’t have protocol on how to handle mental abuse. One of the saddest parts of this story is that my sons father was then made aware that my son is speaking out on the things he was showing and telling him by children services showing up, his father then reprimanded him for sharing the things he had said. Since the ones put in power to  protect my son from the delusions of his father did not protect him he lost trust in the ones around him and started to not talk about the abuses he is going through.

Join us in urging lawmakers to amend Ohio's domestic violence laws to include explicit recognition of mental abuse. Your signature can make a difference in the lives of countless silent sufferers like my child and I who are yearning for justice and protection under law.

Sign this petition today!