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Domestic Violence
Introduction
-Domestic violence, which is also called spouse abuse, intimate partner abuse, battering, and partner violence, is when an individual is hurt in some way by a person that he/she knows and trusts. A person can also be sexually abused or psychologically abused as well. Victims are often hurt in more than one of these ways. Domestic violence can and usually continues over a long period of time and over time the violence gets more frequent and more severe.
-Many victims of domestic violence are often and can be abused in more than one of these ways at the same time. For example, A person who is sexually abused may be physically injured as a result. A person who is beaten may also be threatened and humiliated and forced into sexual activity because I was to afraid to say no.
-Who are the victims? I Donna was a victim of domestic violence. It's not something I like to talk about but it's something that happens to men/women all to often and that is what hurts the most. No one should ever have to be put in fear of their life but it happens all to often and the world needs to wake up. It is a serious problem and getting worse we all need to stand together to help put an end to Domestic Violence.
-No one has the right to put their hands on anyone to control or manipilate them. Anyone regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, economic status, education, or religion can be a victim of domestic violence. Most victims are females, but males can and often be abused by females. You can be abused by someone of the same gender. Women are more likely to be abused and seriously injured by their partners than men are.
-About 2 milliion women are assaulted by their partners each year. There might be as many as 4 million victims of domestic violence each year. There is no way of knowing how many victims of psychological abuse there are, because this type of abuse is harder to identify and track than physical and sexual abuse.
-Who are the abusers? The abuser can be anyone who has some relationship to the victim. Abusers include spouses, boyfriends and girlfriends, same-sex partners and roomates. In my case my abuser was my boyfriend/kid's father. Most of the abusers were exposed to family violence as children. Some may have not. This can mean that they were abused themselves or that they witnessed abuse in their home. I can remember times myself seeing my own mother being abused.
What are the effects of domestic violence? The damage caused by domestic violence is not limited to the physical bruises or emotional scars of the most recent incident. Individuals who have been victims of domestic violence can suffer many long-term effects of the abuse. Long term effects includes:
Self-neglect or Self-injury. Not liking yourself very much, feeling worthless, wanting to inflict injuries on one's self.
Depression, anxiety, panic attacks and sleep disorders. Always feeling sad like the world is closing in on you. To afraid to sleep always on guard.
Alcohol and other drug abuse- Wanting to escape the pain and hurt anyway you can.
Aggression toward themselves and others- Feeling angry with yourself wanting to hurt yourself or others.
Chronic pain- living with headaches or pain from the domestic violence abuse.
Eating disorders not wanting or just cannot eat due to the domestic violence abuse.
Sexual dysfunction. After being in a domestic violence relationship you don't want anyone to look at you or touch you. Feeling unattractive and have very low or next to no self-esteem at all.
Suicide attempts, wanting to end your life, unable to deal with the pain and the constant memories of what has happened to you. Life seems to be pointless with no where to go or no one to turn to.
If you have any of these feelings you are not alone there are things you can do and people you can talk to. It might seem like I'm just sayin these things, but I know I've been there and still going through it, but I'm not alone and neither are you. I have a very good support team. Something everyone in a domestic violence relationship needs.
Definitions for different kinds of abuse
Physical abuse- Hitting, slapping, kicking, pushing, shoving, punching, choking and the other different ways of physically harming a person. Physical abuse may and can involve being hit with an object or weapon. Alot of victims are even held or tied down or left in dangerous places.
Sexual abuse -When a person is forced to participate in a sexual situation against his or her will. Even pursuing sexual activity when the victim is not fully conscious, is not asked for consent, has said no, or is afraid to say no.
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