As society changes, so does everything in it. From the books we read to the films we watch, the music we listen to and the clothes we buy. Everything changes. One thing that strikes us the most, however, is the family environment in which we grow up. There are so many challenges facing families today and they all impact us and how we shape our society. No family is perfect, even if it may seem so from the outside. One of the major problems families face today is domestic violence. This happens behind closed doors and is rarely talked about. It's happening to a growing number of families and the effects can be devastating. Domestic violence can be described as a pattern of behavior used to gain control or dominate another person. Whether it is the husband dominating the wife, the wife controlling the husband or one or more parents dominating their children. It can manifest itself through many forms such as physical, psychological, emotional, or sexual actions or threats that may intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, or hurt someone. Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence: men, women and children. It can also happen in same-sex relationships. Nobody is immune. Research has shown that one in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Women suffer more than four million physical assaults and men are victims of nearly three million (Domestic Violence: Statistics & Facts., 2014). Domestic violence not only affects people who are victims of abuse, but can have a substantial impact on family members, friends and co-workers. and the community. The family is affected in many ways. According to the Safehaven website, more than three million children witness domestic violence. Indeed, every challenge represents an opportunity. So while no family is perfect, every family has the opportunity to be as perfect as they can. Works Cited Allen Jr., J.L. (1997, October 10). Always our children. National Catholic Reporter, 33(43), 9.A destroyer of equal opportunities. (2010, September). Christianity Today, 54(9), 71. Domestic Violence: Statistics and Facts. (2014). Retrieved June 23, 2014, from Safehorizon: http://www.safehorizon.org/index/about-us-1.htmlFamily Structure and Children's Living Arrangements. (n.d.). Retrieved June 25, 2014, from Forum on Child and Family Statistics: http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/famsoc1.aspKirchner, C.Ss.R., D. (2014, July). Distorted Beauty: How Pornography Is Affecting Many Lives and Marriages. The priest, pp. 36-39.Wagner, C. G. (2010). Homosexuality and family formation. The futurist, 44(3), 6-7.