As Domestic Violence Awareness Month begins, the Chicago-based nonprofit organization Between Friends commemorates the occasion with its annual candle-lighting ceremony on October 1. For the past 26 years, the organization has worked to raise awareness about domestic violence, which remains a pervasive issue across the country. Executive Director Verda Bhatti spoke with CBS News to highlight the complexities of abuse, underscoring the different forms it can take and the enduring need for public attention and action.

“Sometimes it can be very physical, sometimes it can be only verbal, and sometimes it can be emotional,” Bhatti explained, emphasizing that domestic violence is not limited to overt physical harm. She noted that abuse often manifests in subtle yet damaging ways, from verbal degradation to emotional manipulation, which can be just as harmful as physical violence. Bhatti’s remarks aimed to broaden the understanding of what constitutes domestic violence and the varied experiences of its survivors.

During the candle-lighting ceremony held on Ohio Street Beach, Between Friends illuminates paper lanterns, each representing a victim of domestic violence. Bhatti expressed her ongoing hope that fewer lanterns would be needed as awareness and prevention efforts improve, but the reality remains stark. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t,” she said, alluding to the persistent rates of abuse that organizations like Between Friends are striving to address.

The impact of domestic violence disproportionately affects Black women, making the issue particularly urgent within that community. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, an estimated 40 percent of Black women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Beyond physical abuse, these women are frequently subjected to psychological violence. The National Center for Victims of Crime reports that more than half of Black women have experienced psychological abuse, while 41 percent have faced physical abuse. This troubling disparity highlights the intersection of race and gender in the context of domestic violence.

The Blackburn Center, another organization dedicated to addressing these issues, links the elevated harm inflicted on Black women to systemic inequalities such as harmful gender norms, objectification in media, and the enduring legacy of racism. Terms like “bed wench,” rooted in the era of slavery, continue to objectify and dehumanize Black women today, reinforcing their vulnerability to abuse. The Blackburn Center advocates for addressing these root causes through an intersectional approach, calling for greater equity in how Black women are treated in society—from workplace pay to their depictions in media—to counteract the notion that they are expendable.