Gabby Petito's father posted on Twitter Sunday night a photo of Gabby with the caption: "She touched the world."
This was no exaggeration. The public has been captivated by Petito's disappearance. They are anxious to find answers in this case that has become highly publicized. The 22-year old Petito vanished while she was on a cross country expedition with Brian Laundrie (23). She was last seen by her family on August 30, two days after Laundrie returned without her.
Police in Wyoming announced that human remains believed to belong to Petito were found Sunday. They described Laundrie as "a person to be contacted" after he disappeared.
Gabby Petito's timeline: From road trip to Brian Laundrie to active criminal investigations
Although the Petito case has attracted a lot of media attention and public scrutiny due to its severity, experts in gendered Violence say that coverage and discussion have not given context about the larger dynamics that make violence against women a widespread social problem.
A 911 call made before Petito's murder raised concerns about domestic violence between the couple. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in three women have experienced intimate partner violence. In the United States, more than half of the female victims of homicide are killed by their current or former intimate partners.
Kiersten Stewart, director for public policy at Futures Without Violence, said, "If you treat it like a single dramatic, isolated instance, you miss out on the larger picture." "On average, three women are killed each day in this country by domestic violence. We're not doing enough."
Domestic violence is a serious public health problem that can be prevented. It affects both perpetrators and victims of all races, income levels, gender, and sexual orientations. Experts believe that the public is most interested in individual cases of intimate partner violence, particularly when it involves celebrities or when violence results in death for a white victim.
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Rarely is the focus deepened to address critical questions about gendered violence's ubiquity, power dynamics, and harmful stereotypes about victims, their behavior, and the best ways of helping them.
"I think we should be asking ourselves, "Why does this keep happening?" Kellie R. Lynch, associate professor, has joint appointments at the University of Texas at San Antonio's Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice and College for Health, Community, and Policy. "We treat all these stories like one-off tragedies. ... We wait for the next story.
"How scared she was is a greater indicator than any scratches on her face"
The Moab Police Department released a video showing an officer pulling over the van of the couple on August 12. It was speeding near the entrance to Arches National Park, Utah.
Experts believe that the bodycam footage contains a lot of red flags. Laundrie seems calm and happy, even though he initially sped away from officers. Because he has been married for many years, one seems to suggest that he understands Laundrie. Petito is called "crazy" by Laundrie, but he says he still cares about her.
Petito's demeanor seemed markedly different. Petito's demeanor was markedly different from that of an officer who said she hyperventilated when he tried talking to her. Petito claimed that Laundrie grabbed her face, and officers can be heard discussing how a witness claims they saw him push her. Petito claims she struck Laundrie.
Their response to law enforcement was typical. Ruth Glenn, President of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, stated that she is upset and blaming himself while he is calm.
Petito is asked by one officer, "Is it usually pretty patient with him?" The officers eventually decided that Petito was the aggressor.
Lynch stated that it sounds like law enforcement's typical good-old boy culture. Lynch said that there is another problem: she leans into stereotypes, claiming she's either crazy or hysterical. This minimizes, trivializes domestic violence and abuses as minor issues between couples. The scarlet marks on his face are a better indicator of how scared she was than the ones on his face.
According to media reports, a 911 caller reported that the gentleman had slapped and hit the girl.
Experts believe that there are still dangerous stereotypes of domestic violence. This is partly why law enforcement and the public need to be better educated about the dynamics of abuse.
Some harmful myths surrounding domestic violence include the belief that victims can simply leave and that help is always available if they need it.
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"I just dug up every inch of this poor girl’s life for my own entertainment."
Domestic violence, despite its brutality and pervasiveness, is often minimized or dismissed.
Snapchat asked users in 2018 "Would it be: Slap Rihanna, or punch Chris Brown?" (In 2009, Brown assaulted Rihanna.
Chris Brown is accused of more violence. Are you ready to cancel?
The #GabbyPetito tag has received more than 500,000,000 views on TikTok. Some of the posts have been called insensitive. One user called it "tone-deaf true crime."
Gabby Petito is a name you may not have heard of. You are missing out, my dear. "This stuff is so great," TikTok creator Jessica Dean stated in a viral video shaming users' stupidity. I made a 28-part series on TikTok about it, covering every detail including her Spotify playlist. For my own entertainment, I just delved into every detail of the girl's life.
TikTok is working on the Gabby Petito investigation. These true crime sleuths are helping to solve the case?
Lynch stated that social media has helped to draw attention to the case and is likely fueling it.
She said that people get "sucked in" to it, "as though they're watching a 'True Crime' episode, when the real culprit behind all of this is a woman who (has) died).
While women of color are more likely to be victims of domestic violence than other people, their stories are rarely told.
Women of color are more likely to be victims of domestic violence than other women, but their stories are rarely covered by the national media.
The highest rates of domestic violence, homicide and abuse are experienced by Indigenous women. According to the Wyoming Division of Victim Services, 710 Indigenous people were reported missing between 2011 and September 2020. 57% of these missing persons are women. Only 30% of Indigenous homicide victims were covered in the media, while 51% of white victims were.
"I don’t want to take away anything from Gabby’s tragic story or the pain her family is going through. Stewart stated that Stewart would only ask Stewart to remind the media that similar events are happening to other families.
Two sisters missing. One bizarre note. One bizarre note: A family has been asking for their daughters' whereabouts for over 20 years.
According to a 2020 Violence Policy Center report, Black women are more likely to be victims of domestic violence-related murder than white women. The Violence Policy Center also found that Black men have been "almost always overshadowed" by their deaths.
Glenn stated that "(Petito), is not the only one to have had this kind of experience." "Why is this one at top of the news?" "Why is this one so different?" I asked journalists.
The Moab Police Department has provided this video of Gabrielle Gabby Petito speaking to a officer after pulling over her van, which she was travelling in, with Brian Laundrie on Aug. 12.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available to help victims of domestic violence. They offer confidential online and phone support for anyone who suspects that their online activities are being monitored by their abusers (800-799-7233). They can assist survivors in creating a plan for safety for their children and themselves.
Safe Horizon's hotline provides crisis counseling, safety planning and assistance in finding shelters at 1 (800) 621-HOPE (46673). You can also use the chat feature to reach out from your phone or computer confidentially for assistance.
To get help, survivors can call the 24/7 English/Spanish hotline of New York City Anti-Violence Project at 212-714-1141. You can also email if calling is unsafe but it is possible to make a report at www.avp.org/gethelp. We will get back to you with safe contact information.
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Gabby Peto, Brian Laundrie, and the tragedy surrounding domestic violence
