Domestic Violence And Public Health

Domestic violence is an epidemic and the number one health concern in our country. There are more abusers and their victims compared to past years. As a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship, domestic violence is used by one person to gain or maintain power and control over another one. It can be physical, sexual, emotional, and economic abuse and not look the same in every relationship because every relationship is different. This kind of abuse affects people of all ages and sexes, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, education and employment levels. Abuse towards children and the elderly can be violent or aggressive behavior. Thus, there are many types of abuse that one can suffer; awareness of the signs of domestic violence is especially important before getting into any kind of intimate relationship.

Statistics state, “One out of every four women will go through domestic violence situations in life. (safehorizon.com) Domestic violence is aggressive behavior towards someone else at home or in a relationship. This can happen at home between spouses/partners or parents and children. Domestic violence should be given more acknowledgment in the media and in classrooms so that people are aware of what is happening. If we do not continue to advocate for victims and educate society, victims will continue to suffer physically,mentally, and emotionally, victims of this behavior go back to their abuser, leading victims to later become abusers themselves.

We all know by now that domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence, not only

Domestic violence in recent years has become a national issue of epidemic proportions (Whiting, 2014). The current Australian Government campaign against domestic violence clearly states that domestic violence is a crime (Douglas, 2008). However, a debate continues over the value of applying criminal law in this field. This article investigates the current operation of family law in Queensland in the domestic violence sphere and explores the advantages and disadvantages of applying criminal law to this area. Areas of investigation include, the effectiveness of current law, current issues relating to domestic violence, relevant stakeholders and perspectives and alternatives and recommendations relating to the current situation. The analysis

The history of Domestic Violence (DV) and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) recognizes that abuse is not just an individual problem, but a social one. Our culture at one time reinforced the idea that violence within relationships was acceptable, and at the same time, blamed the abused for being victims. The way we think now about violence in the home has changed. Violence is a learned behavior that often is the result of months or years of intimidation and control. Contrary to belief, violence is no longer gender specific. Preventing Domestic Violence is important to me because of the physical and psychological effects it has on victims, the impact on families and communities, and the effectiveness of laws and resources.

For domestic violence, medical providers can be as much of a first responder as law enforcement or emergency medical services. The medical provider who is going to note that the victim has been seen several times for the same injury. One of medical providers’ core functions is to investigate the well-being of the patients. If a patient presents with multiple concussions in a year without a good explanation of the circumstances that caused the concussion, this would raise the red-flags for the provider. Additionally, with new governmental regulations providing incentives for providers to transition care to another provider, the whole medical record for a patient can now be in the hands of the provider. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016) At Santa Clara County Health and Hospital System, the primary care provider will receive documentation of all their patients who are admitted or seen in the emergency room. Information sharing about patients will only increase with time. If a patient is seen on one side of the country in the emergency room for a concussion, their primary care provider on the west coast can receive a report of this concussion. The awareness can be a matter of life or death for a patient.

In the United States today, 85% of domestic violence victims are women, and only 15% are men. Domestic violence can be anything that involves physical harm, sexual assault, or fear of physical harm. (“What is Domestic Violence?”) Domestic violence dramatically affects more women than men. Roughly about “38,028,000 women have experienced physical intimate partner violence in their lifetimes” (Huffington post). Domestic violence is an extensive complication in American society. In the United States alone there are multiple states with a high ranking rate when it comes to domestic violence. Ranked #1-10 with females being murdered by males, in 2011, with South Carolina as #1. Domestic violence is caused by many different situations and complications

Domestic abuse is a very concerning public health problem and it can happen to anyone. It can happen whether you are male, female, black, white, rich, or poor. There are many different categories of abuse, which include physical, psychological, sexual, and economic abuse. They are all equally life changing and can leave permanent scars. These wounds could be on the outside or hidden on the inside.

Long-term Physical and Mental Health Effects of Domestic Violence, written by Kavita Alejo, seeks to find out whether victims of domestic violence are affected in the same way and/or to the same degree based on their gender. Which sex is affected more by domestic violence? She examines both, the long-term physical effects and the long-term mental health effects. The author uses published statistics and studies conducted on the prevalence of domestic violence in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships to answer her question. The author’s purpose of this article is to research domestic violence that occurs in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships, examine the effects of short- and long-term health, in order to provide potential interventions to fight against domestic violence.

Deaths, altercations, arrests, and separations. What could they possibly all have in common? That would be domestic violence. From professional football players to celebrities that have committed domestic violence. Domestic violence is now a trending topic that is being heard throughout the country. Lawrence Sherman and Richard Berk conducted a domestic violence experiment in Minneapolis. In April of 1984 this experiment came out in the American Sociological Review, Volume 49, Issue 2.

The increasing demands on the healthcare providers to screen for potential abuse adds to their existing challenges of delivering quality care to patients in a limited time frame. Therefore, some physicians interpret domestic violence to be primarily a criminal justice issue and consequently do not delve into such matters. There are many faces of abuse which can be physical, emotional, and financial. While some women deny experiencing domestic violence at first, but the notion of bringing up that topic might alleviate stress while sharing the situation with their primary care provider in the absence of the abuser.

The effects of violence on a victim's health are far-reaching and devastating. World Health Organization estimates that around 40% of all female murder victims are killed by an intimate partner. Victims of domestic violence are more likely to commit suicide. Domestic violence also contributes to other forms of violence against women. Families or individuals who have experienced domestic violence are in the process of healing both physically and emotionally from multiple traumas. These traumas can have various effects on the mind, body and spirit.

The presentation that was given from the guest speakers were very meaningful because they provided me with relevant information and statistics that I can use if I come across any concerns dealing with domestic abuse in an unhealthy relationship. This is meaningful to me because it enabled me to comprehend about the different types of domestic violence and ways to sympathize for people who go through this these type of problems. For example, I learned that domestic abuse comes in all different shapes and forms. A type of domestic abuse is verbal/emotional. Verbal/emotional abuse consists of yelling, swearing, criticism, and many more. I didn’t know that abuse can come through verbal, I always thought that domestic violence was physical abuse.

Domestic violence as a public health problem is studied from an epidemiological perspective. Epidemiology is the core of public health, providing insight into the causes, prevalence, and control of disease in populations. Partner abuse is defined, risk factors, prevalence, and consequences are addressed from both the civilian and military perspectives as it relates to the batterer, spouse, and children. Most of what is known about domestic violence from a scientific perspective are through a civilian lens. A growing body of research on partner abuse in the military is emerging with most studies conducted on the Army. The article reports on the results of an in-depth study of the epidemiology of partner abuse in all branches of the military. Rates of violence are higher in military populations than is civilian populations. Data further suggests that more severe forms of abuse occur in military families. Evidence-based prevention and intervention approaches were recommended with a focus on real and perceived barriers to treatment.

In America most cases of Domestic Violence are never actually reported, many times these cases go unheard and the victims suffer in silence. The worn out cries of a battered woman as she lays on the ground clutching herself and begging her significant other to just stop. The bruises and cuts that remain unreported due to the victim claiming they accidentally fell yet again. The abusers tend to make the victim almost entirely dependable on them. An abuser will do this to gain control and to create a weaker victim, “behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other” (Par. 1, Definition). Control. The abuser seeks control over their victims. When their control is threatened they act out in ways harmful to others. Domestic