A more somber note from a New York Times article:

The privileged, often therapeutic relationship between hairdressers and clients has long been the subject of magazine articles and movies. A growing movement in New York and across the nation tries to harness that bond to identify and prevent domestic violence, a pervasive problem that victims are often too ashamed to reveal to law enforcement or other public officials.

It’s hard to imagine being a victim of domestic violence, let alone a hairstylist who feels helpless about assisting. The Times cites a DoJ statistic that says in 2006, 600,000 women suffered from domestic violence. It’s safe to say that this number is probably a bit low, considering that these are only the reported cases.

Say what you will about the campy aesthetic of an episode of Cops, there are a few important lessons to be learned, especially when seeing how abused spouses defend their husbands against concerned police officers. You’d like to believe that we’re “past this,” but we’re not. 600,000 women. More than that. Astonishing.

A good friend of mine once fell off the face of the earth — she had moved from an upscale neighborhood in Connecticut to an area much further away from where I was attending college. I called a few times, and emailed to no avail, then figured that life had gotten too busy. A year or two later, she emailed me to tell me she had been in an abusive relationship. The bad kind. Here was a girl perfectly strong in her own regard, and with friends who certainly cared. She finally got away and started a new life, but the scars, both physical and emotional, will remain.

Here’s to hoping that these hairdressers can make a difference.

Posted on Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 at 3:06 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.