ARDMORE, OK -- Chances are, if your family has not been affected by it, you know someone who has. Experts say it often starts over the littlest things, like daily stresses of life, financial strain, or the pressure of parenting. But whatever the cause, domestic abuse is serious. Robin Beal has more.

Domestic violence is a crime often hidden behind closed doors. By the time it comes out into the open, it could be too late.

"It's a huge problem. We've had, I can think of, four first-degree murder cases we've had in the past couple of years that stem from domestic violence. We treat it very seriously," Carter County District Attorney Craig Ladd says.

"Over the last 30 years, over 64,000 men and women have been killed in domestic violence."

District attorney Craig Ladd says one of the most difficult things about these cases is the reluctance of victims to come forward, but it is a serious crime with serious penalties.

"There are various reasons, whether it's the battered woman's syndrome or just the realities of life with the abuser sometimes being the breadwinner that sometimes victims are reluctant to follow all the way through. I'm not sure how effective counseling is. I mean, incarceration sounds like a pretty good option to me," Ladd says.

So what can you do if you are the victim of domestic abuse? Experts say go to the police or DA’s office, and seek help at a shelter.

As far as prevention, that starts inside.

"If fathers do not leave a good legacy to their sons, my thing is to these young men. If your father was not a good role model, try to fight against that and say I'm not going to be like that, I'm going to be a real man, I'm not going to be like my dad."

There is a walk being planned in Murray County in October organized by the Texoma Domestic Violence Victims Institute. They have other resources available as well (see below).

http://www.firstokdvwalk.org/
WWW.TDVVI.ORG
Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE