10/15/2026
Long before he became a household name, Patrick Stewart learned a devastating lesson about silence and violence. An outspoken advocate for survivors of domestic violence, the renowned actor grew up in a home where his mother suffered frequent abuse from his father. He has called violence against women the "single greatest human rights violation of our generation."
This October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month -- and few have spoken about the issue more powerfully, or more personally, than Stewart. He has called on other men to speak out on violence against women, saying: "Violence against women is learned. Each of us must examine -- and change -- the ways in which our own behavior might contribute to, enable, ignore or excuse all such forms of violence. I promise to do so, and to invite other men and allies to do the same."
Stewart has also said he later learned that his father suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from his combat service in World War II. After this discovery, he began to work with Combat Stress, an organization that helps combat veterans deal with their experiences in a healthy, non-abusive manner.
"The work that I do in campaigns about violence towards women, particularly domestic violence, is something that grew out of my own childhood experience," Stewart said in a speech where he talked about his work with organizations that support survivors of domestic violence, including the UK-based group Refuge.
"I do what I do in my mother's name, because I couldn't help her then. Now I can."
For an invaluable book for adults about the early warning signs of abusive relationships, myths about abusive personalities, and how to get help, we also recommend "Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men" at https://bookshop.org/a/8011/9780425191651 (Bookshop) and https://amzn.to/4i54Ysx (Amazon)
For several excellent books for children and teens struggling with anger issues, we highly recommend "40 Awesome Activities to Help Children Calm Down, Cope, and Regain Control" for ages 5 to 9 (https://www.amightygirl.com/anger-management-workbook-kids), "How to Take the GRRR Out of Anger" for ages 8 to 12 (https://www.amightygirl.com/grrr-out-of-anger), and "The Anger Workbook for Teens" for ages 13 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-anger-workbook-for-teens)
Lundy Bancroft is the author of several related titles, including "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" (https://bookshop.org/a/8011/9780425238899), "Daily Wisdom for Why Does He Do That?" (https://bookshop.org/a/8011/9780425265109), and "The Joyous Recovery: A New Approach to Emotional Healing and Wellness" (https://bookshop.org/a/8011/9780578464695)
He also wrote a parenting book focused on helping children who have witnessed abuse, "When Dad Hurts Mom," at https://bookshop.org/a/8011/9780425200315
And if you’re a parent concerned that your daughter may be in an unhealthy relationship, check out the books “Saving Beauty From The Beast: How to Protect Your Daughter from an Unhealthy Relationship” (https://www.amightygirl.com/saving-beauty-from-the-beast) and “But I Love Him: Protecting Your Teen Daughter from Controlling, Abusive Relationships” (https://www.amightygirl.com/but-i-love-him)
