Domestic Abuse: Annotated Bibliography

Types of physical abuse are hard hitting, kicking or punching; whipping; burns; immersion in; scalding water; shaking; tying child to object; throwing child or things at child; choking or gagging; fracturing; administering excessive doses of medications or drugs; and withholding medications

Although we lost Ellen Pence, a woman who changed how domestic violence is addressed, in 2012, there are many lives that are being saved to this day because of her work. Ellen Pence found her calling in 1977 when she began working for the Minneapolis Housing Authority that helped individuals relocate with housing complications (StarTribune, 2010). It was then that she immersed herself through domestic violence cases and set the standard for addressing these cases. Ellen Pence is especially known for establishing the Duluth Program, a program that address batterers in the court systems, and Praxis Training, which are training on addressing domestic violence for law enforcement, advocates, community agencies, and institutions. Pence’s 35 years of service change the way domestic violence cases were handled, educated key players in domestic violence cases, and showed the world what it was like to be a victim of domestic abuse. Without her efforts, many individuals in power addressing these cases would be lost and those to who are victims would not be understood as they are today.

Some people may not know they are being abused because they are either ignorant or don’t know which type of abuse is being inflicted onto them. Licensed mental health counselor Laura Streyffeler feels there are several types of abuse; physical, verbal, sexual, environmental, and emotional abuse. Heise L, Garciea-Moren condones that "domestic violence, also called intimate partner violence (IVP), partner abuse, and spousal abuse, is a serious, preventable public health problem that affects millions of Americans. The terms domestic violence or intimate partner

“Domestic violence is a type of abuse by one or both partners in marriage, friends, family, dating or cohabitation” (Aziz & Mahmoud, 2010). There are many forms of abuse from verbal and emotional to physical that often escalates over time in intensity for the victim. Data from the criminal justice system, hospital patient medical records and mental health records, police reports, surveys and social services reports of thousands of women revealed that many are injured and killed as a result of violence from someone close to them. “The US Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) defines domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender” (Robertson & Murachver, 2009). Researchers and the criminal justice system have not been able to agree on a clear definition to domestic violence which can range from physical injury, stalking, verbal abuse and humiliation, denial of shelter and access to money, and intimidation through aggressive behaviors. The definition of domestic violence may vary but the results from physical injury, mental and emotional trauma, and sometimes even death can last a life time.

There are many different types of domestic violence. Physical abuse is the most obvious form, but this is not to say that outsiders always recognize it. Generally, physical violence causes bodily harm, using a variety of methods. Slapping, pushing, throwing, hitting, punching, and strangling are only a few methods. An object or weapon may or may not be used. There is not always physical evidence of physical abuse such as bruising, bleeding, scratches, bumps, etc., therefore, absence of physical marks does not necessarily mean physical abuse had not occurred. Physical abuse sometimes escalates to murder (Morris and Biehl 7, Haley 14-17).

The thing that surprised me the most about Telling Amy’s Story, was not from the actual video itself, but from the follow-up discussion video. When the lady who is the head of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, Cathy Cates, relayed what someone who was an abuser said to her. In a nutshell he told her, while slamming his partner’s head on a bureau, that he was thinking he could do it, it works to give him what he wanted from the partner, and that there were no consequences.

Domestic violence often goes deeper than the bruises on its victim’s flesh. The lasting mental effects are usually what rips apart a victim and destroys their entire life. These disorders are very serious problems, and can even lead people to think they have no other way out and as a result they commit suicide. People should be more aware of the mental effects of domestic violence because not enough attention is given to the severity of these mental illnesses.

This theme shows that there are three main types of abuse, some common and some not so common. These three evils include physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Physical abuse is the most common. It includes hitting, kicking, punching, and even use of weapons. Emotional abuse is also extremely common, and most of the time the victims are unaware that it is even happening. This includes name-calling, insults, humiliation, blaming the victim for everything, stalking, controlling your partner, and even jealousy. The third type of abuse, which is not as common, but is still a major issue, is sexual abuse. This could be forcing your

I still remember the night I received the call and rushed to the gynecology ward. There she lay, a young girl of about 16-17 moaning in pain with blood oozing out of her vagina. It had been slit by a razor, by her spouse. Feeling dumbstruck, I secured an IV access, ordered for blood transfusion and started suturing the wound as a desperate measure to stop the bleeding. She fared well and I was relieved. However, it was just another day in a series of regular days in rural Nepal. Domestic abuse, migrant workers suffering from AIDS, road traffic accidents with casualties flooding the emergency department, wards full of elderly with COPD, children with pneumonia, intoxicated and belligerent patients, adolescents with organophosphate poisoning were everyday problems. Having been brought up in a family in urban Nepal, these encounters exposed me to the harsh realities of an underdeveloped society and the effect they had on people 's health. I started seeing life in a new light, with a broader perspective and lesser complaints.

In the study by Finnbogadottir and Dykes (2012) the report was well written, it was grammatically correct, concise and well organised. The authors qualifications and positions were clearly identified and indicated that Finnbogadottir was attached to the department of nursing at Malmo University, Sweden and was a PHD student. Dykes was a professor and attached to the division of nursing at Lund University, Sweden. The report title was clear and accurate and un ambiguous. It clearly highlighted what the study was about. The abstract was a clear overview of the study and reflected the content of the paper. It provided details of the research problem, the sample, the methodology and findings with recommendations.

Domestic abuse impacts millions of Americans every year. Unfortunately, because domestic abuse usually concerns family matters, it does not always receive the attention it warrants and deserves. The costs as a result of domestic abuse are staggering. Domestic abuse should be a concern to all because it is not limited to one specific demographic and can affect virtually all members of society. The precise number of domestic abuse incidents is unknown because it is likely that many incidents simply go unreported. Although the problem of domestic abuse is now widely recognized, society needs to take a more proactive stance to properly punish it as a crime.

Domestic abuses are not looking to lose control, domestic abuses purposing trying to control another person using words or physical straight to gain control. If a child grows up watching their father, or any one they look up to abuse their parents, or someone they love it is most likely they are going to grow up abusing their wife and child. Not just that but growing up they will face emotional problems, including psychosomatic disordered, stuttering, anxiety and fears, sleep disruption, excessive crying and lashing out at school, some children even start to bully. Many people think domestic violence is uncommon and it hardly ever exists anymore. (Katie

One of the facts that I found interesting in the readings, that we touched upon briefly in class, is that ninety percent of women in prison for killing men are there because that man abused them. Abuse being either physical or sexual abuse. In most of these cases the women were acting in self-defense. The reason I chose this topic to talk about for my thought piece is because I don’t think we talked about it enough in class. I think this is a very important thing to talk about, not only in courses in this one but also in general. Domestic abuse, especially towards women, is something that is still prominent in America, as well as around the world, and it something that it not addressed often or well enough. According to a HuffingtonPost.com article, seventy percent of women around the world will experience physical and/or sexual abuse by an intimate partner during their lifetimes. However, only twenty-five percent of physical assaults performed against women are reported to police every year. Something is not right with

There is a growing interest in raising awareness about various forms and experiences of domestic violence, its effects on individual and family lives. While, statistically females appear to be more vulnerable to domestic abuse, one cannot ignore, invalidate or marginalise female domestic abuse towards males or same sex domestic abuse (Sanderson, 2008, p.21). Domestic abuse may occur in many different forms such as physical, emotional, financial, sexual, economic, and psychological. For the victims of the abuse it is not always easy to accept or reveal that they are subjected to violence. In cases where they victim suffers from other forms of abuse other than physical abuse, acceptance my take a long time. The number of individuals being abused by their intimate partners has been increasing. There are studies that examine individual and social circumstances which affect the ways the survivors cope with the abuse and develop strategies to end the relationships in which they are abused. As well as the effectiveness of the help and support available from various charities and organisations. Most of these studies focus on women survivors as domestic abuse is problematised as an issue of male domination and unequal gender relations. However, there are also emerging studies researching domestic abuse cases in which men are the victims and survivors. This study aims to examine the abuse experiences of both female and male survivors so as to compare the differences and similarities

The thing that surprised me the most about Telling Amy’s Story, was not from the actual video itself, but from the follow-up discussion video. When the lady who is the head of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, Cathy Cates, relayed what someone who was an abuser said to her. In a nutshell he told her, while slamming his partner’s head on a bureau, that he was thinking he could do it, it works to give him what he wanted from the partner, and that there were no consequences.