Just when we think the world is taking a step forward, it goes ahead and takes two steps back. Take global warming, for instance: we spend years setting up regulations for climate change, only for them to get removed in one fell swoop. And marriage equality, too; while so many countries are advocating for marriage rights for all genders, others are literally torturing their LGBTQ community. And it's a similar matter with domestic violence. To put the problem in perspective: 6,488 soldiers were killed in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2001 and 2012. During that same period, the number of women in America who were murdered by current or ex male partners was 11,766. And it's not just women who are affected. While 85 per cent of domestic violence sufferers are female, the other 15 per cent are male - meaning its an issue that afflicts all walks of life. Even though people have tried to educate others about the issue, many places are seeing reductions in the number of available refuge shelters, or cutbacks on schemes that help to protect victims of domestic violence. Ultimately, it seems that people just don't get the brutal reality of the situation. So the makers of this video decided to show what it looks like. In the short clip, which was actually a Croatian public service announcement, photographs of a young woman appear to show the passing of time. The video is titled, "Jedna fotografija dnevno u najgoroj godini života", which translates to, "One photo a day in the worst year of my life." It acts as a sort of parody of other timelapse videos, in which people show themselves getting older or thinner or happier etc. In this video, however, the woman just becomes more and more broken - both literally and figuratively. She starts as a cheery-looking woman with bright eyes and a pretty smile. But, very quickly, blemishes begin to appear. At first, they are subtle: But they soon become more prominent: Not only can you see the bruises getting bigger, you can also see her expression becoming more and more desperate. In what seems like no time at all, the injuries worsen dramatically, and are actually really hard to look at. Even though its only makeup in this scenario, the woman's face is representative of the very real attacks that people face in their own homes - and it's terrifying to think about. This next image is particularly brutal: With cuts and bruises across her jaw, eye and forehead, the woman is almost unrecognizable from the smiling figure we saw at the beginning. Perhaps most striking, however, is her expression. She doesn't seem upset anymore - she just seems sort of empty, almost as if she's given up. Before the final image, we see this: Again, it's only special effects makeup, but it's still chilling. At the end of the video, we see the woman holding up a sign. It reads: “Help me, I do not know if I can wait for tomorrow.” [[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ertu9_MhFiM&feature=youtu.be]] Though this video might have been originally intended for a Croatian audience, its message is universal. People need to start taking domestic violence more seriously - along with all the other issues we keep brushing aside - because they won't get better without intervention.  

Being in an abusive relationship is like living in an alternate reality. In that inverted world, you lose your sense of self and direction entirely, and begin to think that the unacceptable is simply routine. Krissy Kross is a victim of this abuse, and she took to Imgur to post a series of texts that her abusive husband had sent her, and to tell her story of dealing with domestic violence. Anyone who has dealt with abuse recognizes the look of these texts, which come in absolute piles: He monitors her relationships with co-workers, accusing her of practically cheating every moment that he doesn't know where she is, or even when he does and she's just at work. It gets even worse, when they explicitly discuss a bruise that he put on her arm. Krissy explains: "I visit my mother one every couple years. I had a huge bruise on my arm from where my husband had bit me, leaving visible teeth marks. The bruise was so bad it hung around for almost a month. Long enough for a visit to my mothers and to still be photographed by NCIS when I finally turned him several weeks later." Here's Krissy's more complete explanation of the situation, which she put at the end of her Imgur post: "I had to call him at midnight every night I was with my mother. Assuming it was because he wanted to make sure I wasn't out being drunk and doing nefarious things during the evening. "My ex-husband was a kind, loving man. That is, until I lost weight (at 5'3" and over 200lbs, it was sort of necessary.) I then got a job. Suddenly I was cheating, I lost weight to get men, I couldn't buy clothes that fit me after the 80 pounds lost because it showed off my body. He hit me and sexually assaulted me. He waited outside my work for whole shifts, not telling me if he was carrying the Beretta M9 he had purchased recently. "I wanted to go out with two (female) coworkers for my 23rd birthday. I told him weeks in advance and when the time came he punched me in the face and slammed my head into the floor, only leaving me alone because he had duty that evening. I tried to go to the police in the middle of the night, he tailgated me the whole way. I tried to talk to his parents and they told me it was normal in a young marriage and I should reassure him. His father is a pastor in Tennessee and holds this belief." Just reading his texts, he sounds like such a cold and sociopathic person. It's hard to read how he beat and mistreated the woman who should have been the love of his life. Krissy explains the end of the horrific marriage: "I finally got the guts to leave when he hurt my dog and kitten. While he was at work I packed a bag, my pets, and their food and hid at a coworker's house and called NCIS and the police. I spent hours getting bruises photographed, giving my statement, waiting while they put him on restriction. I saw him only a handful of times after, all in court. 3 court dates to get a PO approved, the divorce hearing where he told me if I dropped the charges he'd support me financially, and the two military court dates. "He was charged with a handful of misdemeanors and two felonies. I accepted his guilty plea bargain for 8 months in the Miramar brig on the condition that the felony charges be dropped. The judge wanted to give him 10. I still had to listen to several people testify how great of a person he was- a whole group on his side while I sat there with one friend and my lawyer." But now, the worst is over. "3 years later and I'm actually doing great. I have my own place, a decent job, my pets are doing very well. My credit is shit from the divorce but really, I'm in decent company in that. This isn't really a sob story; I'm really proud of what I've done on my own. I just wanted to share for possibly some closure since I never really got that. Strangers on the internet are better than keeping it inside for so long. And if you hate my story I just lose some fake points anyway. I save these text messages to remind myself how far I've come, not to cry over. I'm still terrible in relationships but..." The best response to domestic abuse is exactly what Krissy did - find somewhere safe to stay, record evidence, and call the police. If you have no one, go right to the police station. We cannot tolerate the intolerable.

While we've all considered ourselves unfortunate souls from time to time - plagued with a coterie of stubbed toes, lost possessions, and far too many drunken nights - there are some people who are so unlucky that we just assume they go around smashing mirrors and walking under ladders.

One such individual is a Reddit user who goes by the handle, TheFlyingPigSquadron. Last year, the Scottish woman shared her story on the internet, and what started with an everyday hair washing resulted in her being carted off to the emergency room. Read on to see how she ended up in a wheelchair, with a fractured ankle and a split head - but try not to chuckle too much at her misfortune...

It all began rather innocuously with the Reddit user writing, "So this morning I jumped in the shower and decided to wash my hair."

"I have very long and curly hair that reaches midway down my back. However, once it's wet the curls straighten out and my hair almost reaches my bum." 

Trouble quickly ensued, however, when the woman thought a spider had managed to find its way into her shower.

"So my hair is wet, shampooing done and I just need to rinse," she continued. "I tip my head back and flip my hair over my shoulder á la shampoo adverts everywhere. And feel something brush against the top of my bum. Being the mature and logical gal I am, I came to the one and only possible conclusion."

"Spider".

And it's safe to say that the Reddit user overreacted...

"With a scream a howler monkey would be proud of, boobs flying and looking like some sort of demented mermaid, I attempted to flee the shower stall. And promptly acquired a new skill; the ability to do the splits.

"This in itself was a spectacular feat of physics as there isn't actually enough room in my bathroom for a toddler to do the splits, never-mind a 5'9" half drowned rat. As a result, when my leading foot came into contact with the toilet pedestal, my body was launched back along the floor towards the shower. This left me wedged between the toilet and the shower tray."

Of course, it didn't end there, as she was then "abruptly b*tch-slapped by the shower door."

"One trip to the A&E later and I have a sprained ankle, a fractured ankle, two broken toes, a beautiful rainbow of bruises in some interesting places and a partridge in a pear tree."

Now, as if that whole ordeal wasn't enough, it was about to get a lot worse...

In an update post, the Reddit user revealed how she temporarily ended up in a wheelchair, and back in the A&E:

"So because I'm a special little unicorn my broken toes and fractured ankle are on opposite feet therefore I'm now rockin' a b*tchin new wheelchair (well not new, it's the NHS and it's Scotland).

"Also my flat is upstairs so it might as well be on Everest, so I'm at my parent's bungalow until my sprain is well enough for me to find another way to f*ck it up.

"I've had the wheelchair for about 6 hours now and have bounced it off every door frame in the house and scuffed two of the walls (don't tell my mother). After about 2 hours of me bouncing around like a ping pong ball my mum got the s*its with me and told me to go and annoy my younger brother, who is playing Xbox in the living room.

"So after letting him have a go on the chair and basically p*ssing about, he says three little words that have resulted in this update. 'Do a wheelie'."

"F*cking challenge accepted", she stated.

"I give it a go and end up tipping the chair backwards, arse over tits (which I'm sure would, again, be flying if they hadn't been secured in a locked and upright position) and cracking my head on the fireplace.

"I'm now on my back doing the world's worst impression of an upside down turtle with a cast and now a head wound. My 19-year-old, apparently adult brother is trying to crawl to the bathroom before p*sses himself laughing."

Thankfully, the unfortunate woman didn't end up too damaged. "No I haven't injured myself again," she continued.

"I've just split the skin which was fixed with glue and tape because apparently medical and art supplies are the same thing. I'm also back in the wheelchair as the very wise Dr felt 'crutches would just be asking for it.'

"He's not wrong I full admit I would have attempted to swing from them and/or use them as pirate swords. Though most likely both."

Well, there you have it: the unluckiest woman on the internet. While we're all glad that she didn't hurt herself too badly, I think we can all agree that her escapades were absolutely hilarious.

A video about domestic violence has gone viral on social media, with thousands praising it for its powerful and heartbreaking message.

The clip shows a young woman's face as she goes through an abusive relationship. First, you see her being given flowers and an engagement ring, but gradually her demeanor begins to change, and she can ultimately be seen covering up bruises with makeup.

The video has now been shared over 11,000 times on Twitter.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/jenanmoussa/status/1165193517951569921?s=20]]

It sparked quite the conversation in the comments. "The multiple faces of an abused woman, what you see is not what you see, look beneath the skin to see what is happening, domestic abuse is and always has been hidden in plain sight," wrote one social media user, while another corroborated:

"It’s really disappointing that person suffering from it couldn’t raise his/her voice easily bcz of fear of family and society!! # plz raise your voice either u r a Victim or a witness!! #domesticabuse is a CRIME & reality is much more worse than shown in clip ! [sic]"

"Let alone physical abuse , what about emotional abuse when the soul is left battered everyday," added a third.

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[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/KalpanaPrasad03/status/1165460314243993600?s=20]]

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[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/FaryalShafi/status/1165252627254390785?s=20]]

Another wrote: "Domestic abuse is not always physical... No one shows or tries to create videos about emotional torture."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/vsshru/status/1165322545001717761?s=20]]

Earlier this year, a domestic abuse victim handed in her estranged husband's firearms to police after he was taken to jail for allegedly attempting to run her over, CNN reported.

Courtney Irby, who hails from Florida, removed Joseph Irby’s guns from his home the day after he had tried to run her over, telling law enforcement that she was handing them in for safekeeping.

However, when Lakeland police discovered she had taken them without Joseph’s permission, they proceeded to arrest her for armed burglary of a dwelling and the grand theft of a firearm.

State representative, Anna Eskamani, said Courtney was "actively protecting herself" and that "we should be outraged by her arrest".

She was later bonded out of Polk County Jail.

Climbing onto the New York subway to join the morning rush hour, Sam Saia was likely to be thinking about what would happen at work that day. The thing she was wholly unlikely to be pondering is whether or not she would get punched that day. But, as fate would have it, that is exactly what would happen just after she boarded the subway to travel from Brooklyn to Manhattan. The 37-year-old was sitting on the N train when a situation known to every woman occurred: manspreading. The much-discussed problem of men adopting sitting positions that take up other people's space seems practically unavoidable - but it was going to reach new heights on the 7.45am train. When the man, named by the New York Post as Derek Smith, began manspreading, even pushing her gradually into the wall, Saia asked him to stop. But Smith didn't take it well and became angry. "I sat down and I existed, and I think this guy had a problem with that. He just started manspreading me extra and pushing me into the wall," Saia wrote on Facebook afterwards. "I just looked at him and said, 'Alright, just calm down, just relax.’” It was then that Smith apparently erupted into a violent rage, began threatening and swearing at her. "B****, you ain't nothing! I've raped white b*****s like you, f***ing c---! You ain't nothing, you f***ing b****", he screamed at her. His sexist and violent rant finally ended with him punching her in the face. Saia was ultimately defenceless, but was thankfully saved by a good samaritan who swooped in, grabbing the attacker and forcing him off at the next stop. In a video, filmed by fellow passenger Anthony Macca, rescuer Victor Conde is seen restraining Smith and standing between him and Saia.  He is later heard shouting: "Get the f*** off the train. Get off the train bro, you just f***ing hit a lady. You hit her in the face. She's bleeding. Look at her mouth. Just get off at the next stop."

[[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ghSYOZvnKk]]

Speaking about the incident to Daily News, Ms Saia said: "This took me by surprise. It's just a matter of safety. I want my neighbourhood to be safe. I don't want this to happen to other women or men. That bastard is still out there. I’m afraid he might retaliate. But I’m not going to back down.” The 37-year-old victim later added that she couldn't understand "how you could do that to somebody". New York City police confirmed after the incident that the suspect was arrested and charged with assault. Previously, manspreading has been condemned as rude, annoying and even "borderline sexual harassment". But a situation like Saia's is, until now, unheard of - and perfectly epitomises how manspreading has become more than simply shirking the laws of public transport etiquette. Instead, nowadays it is an even bigger feminist issue than ever. That's certainly not to say that a man who takes slightly more room than he should and a man who thumps you in the face are one and the same. However, it does mean that manspreading is something that needs to be properly addressed immediately. But women all over the world are making a worthwhile start by taking to social media to fight back. Traditionally coerced into using up as little space as physically possible, often even crossing their legs in an effort to diminish their presence, women everywhere have made it clear they have had enough. Sick to the back teeth, thousands of them have started to post pictures of themselves with their legs spread wide open, accompanied with the hashtag "#womanspreading" - and this time, they're taking up as much room as they want. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BXyLDeqFf1k/]] [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/hoskelsa/]] [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb2edjDlPcE/]] Turning their noses up at traditional "ladylike" positions, Bella Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski and Kaia Gerbeer were just some of the A-listers who jumped on board the social media frenzy designed to empower females. While some chose to poke fun at the poses men often take, others sought to take power stances. Either way, these ladies were hard to ignore. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb12acLFFXe/]] [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BbCmxK5hX5L/]] Never out of the press, the Third-Wave feminist issue is far from just a 21st-century issue. Unsurprisingly, if you search far enough back, you will be able to find photographic evidence of manspreading from more than a hundred years ago, as well as a 1918 pamphlet that asks men to "Sit a little closer, please". However, the affair has gotten nasty in recent years, with the New York subway posting notices saying "Dude... Stop the spread, please. It's a space issue" and the Oxford Dictionary of English even adding the term to its online edition. A 2016 study found that men stretch out their legs while seated on the subway five times more often than female passengers. Hunter College came out with a report which found that more than 26 per cent of men manspread in their seats, compared to less than five per cent of women. Regardless of the past, now it's time for womanspreading to have its moment in the spotlight. In the age where sexual harassment allegations are rife, it is important to acknowledge every baby step we take towards fighting our way out of the corner we have been confined to. In spite of the fact that the womanspreading hashtag is unlikely to change every manspreading man's behaviour, it shows that women are finally feeling confident enough to speak up - and take up the room they rightly deserve.