Domestic violence: Power and Control

Millions of people around the world are abused physically and emotionally everyday by their significant other. Domestic violence makes up 15% of all violent crimes in the US alone. ⅓ women and ¼ men experience Domestic violence, only 34% of victims seek medical care when injured(NCADV). ⅔ marriages suffer from domestic violence, the women who leave these relationships are 70 times more likely to be murdered other than if they don't leave(Domestic) .⅕ women and 1/71 men are raped, 45.4% of female rape victims and 29% of male rape victims were raped by significant other.

“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.

After an individual has been in an abusive relationship they are no longer the same person they were from the start of the relationship, all the trauma they had to endure leaves them

Domestic violence, alternatively referred to as Intimate Partner Violence, is defined by the Department of Justice 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.” While domestic violence is commonly thought of as only physical or sexual abuse, domestic violence can also be emotional, economic, or psychological. Domestic violence has remained constant in society throughout history, even though over time society’s response to the issue has changed. While domestic violence affects everyone regardless of race, gender, age, etc. it is estimated that approximately 90% of all victims are women. For the purpose of this paper, I will be focusing on

According to statistics found by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Every nine seconds a woman is abused by her husband or intimate partner. At least 1 in every 4 women and 1 in every 9 men have been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in their lifetime. Most often the abuser is one of their own family. Domestic violence is a problem that somehow affects every one of us in this room at some time and is actually the leading cause of injury to women -- more than car accidents, muggings and rapes combined.

Domestic abuse survivors are people that go through the worst and overcome. They find it hard to trust again because the one that was supposed to love them hurt them. They live in fear thinking to their self like did I really get away? Like is it really over? Most people stay an abusive relationships because they believe the person loves them and that’s how you show love.

“Every year, in the United States there are over 3 million incidents of reported domestic violence. Every year, 4,000 victims of domestic violence are killed.” (Domestic Violence: Disturbing Facts about Domestic Violence). Domestic violence is a crime that is not just committed in the United States, but worldwide. This crime is committed every day, every hour, every minute, and every second. Anybody can be a victim or the abuser. This can happen to any child, man or woman. This is a horrific crime. Women are more likely to be the victim in domestic violence than men. “Forty-five percent of all violent attacks against female victims 12 years old and older by multiple

An abusive personality is fundamentally one of self loathing and even self hate. However, this self disgust is too painful for them to accept. Desperate to “fit in” with everyone else they justify the abusive behaviour they cannot avoid and deny the rest. The denial can be very profound and will drive their negative feelings about themselves very deeply within their tortured psyche. Many abusers are

To start off, an abuser tends to frighten their victims and isolate them from all friends, family and loved ones. The reason behind isolating their victims

The abuse is usually frequent enough that the victim internalizes it. This leaves the victim feeling fearful, insignificant, untrusting, emotionally needy, and unlovable. Survivors of this form of abuse have a hard time understanding why they feel so bad (Munro, K. 2001.).

Abusers usually pass on their terrible habits and cope with their abuse in bad ways. In an article i read by smith she has a website to help children and even provides us with phone numbers we can call to help out the children in need. It is true that abused children are more likely to repeat the cycle as adults, unconsciously repeating what they experienced as children.(smith). Children that were abused growing up are usually more likely to cause the same abuse to their children. They find any way to forget about how they were abused and how no one helped them, they might think that no one will help these parents and that they can get away with it. Even though It’s a horrible way with coping and dealing with what happened to themselves.

Domestic violence is about power and control. Domestic violence is prevalent because it does not discriminate, it comes in all races of people. Domestic violence involves emotional, verbal, sexual and physical abuse. One way to combat domestic violence is through intervention. If someone is a victim of domestic violence or stalking they should contact the nearest local police department and put out a restraining order. I feel it's imperative to let somebody know you're a victim of domestic violence, whether it be your parents or somebody that's closest to you. If the problem persists, i feel you should contact authorities and put out a restraining order on the attacker. If the problem has become physical, i think it's in the best interest of

So what makes an abuser? The goal of the abuser is power and control over their partner. Domestic violence can affect all, but more often it is the male inflicting the harm due to their physical advantage and also their societal taught dominating role. The abuser tends to conform to the stereotypical view of the man and women. The man goes out to make the money and support the family, while women stays home to cook, clean, and look after the kids. In knowing this, it is easy to understand why leaving an abusive relationship can be so difficult for the individual being abused, as leaving involves many needed changes and few solutions to the problems.

Domestic violence is defined as an act of violence within the household. The aforementioned is one of the most underestimated and underreported crimes in the United States today. Abuse within the home represents the single most, greatest cause of harm to women, and affects over thirty percent of American women each year. Domestic Violence may start when one partner feels the need to control and dominate the other, Abusers may feel this need to control their partner because of low self-esteem, extreme jealousy, difficulties in regulating anger and other strong emotions, or when they feel inferior to the partner in education and socioeconomic background. Some men and women with traditional beliefs may think they have the right to control women, and that women aren’t equal to them. This domination then takes the form of emotional, physical or sexual abuse (Swisher, Karin L. and Carol Wekesser 19-20).

Domestic violence refers to abusive behavior in any relationship that is inflicted on a partner to gain or maintain power and control over another partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological. Domestic violence includes behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone. Domestic violence can happen to anyone, regardless of their race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender; and it also occurs in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships; domestic violence also affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels (Justice, The United States Department of, 2017). This topic has attracted a lot of discussion and research because of its dominance and complexity. This essay, therefore seeks to look at the causes and effects of domestic violence.