Intimate Partner Abuse : A Global Problem Of Enormous Proportions

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.

Domestic violence (DV) has and continues to affect millions of, women, men, children and the elderly every day. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, defines Domestic violence as, “hurtful, repeated and intentional behavior that one person uses to maintain power and control over another in an intimate relationship.” (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, n.d.) Abuse impacts many individuals from various backgrounds. Abuse comes in many forms, verbal, emotional, physical, sexual and, covers a wide range of tactics to establish and maintain power and control. A predominant form of DV is Intimate Partner Violence is also known as (IPV,) which affects millions of people every year, primarily women

Many women and men seek intimate relationships in order to fill their emotional needs of security, safety and love. Their journey starts off with their loved ones spoiling them with flattering gifts and emotional words. The love they feel is so wonderful and deep that they believe that nothing can come between them. They are so happy and convinced that they will live happily ever after with the one they love. Unfortunately, the fairytale they have dreamt about was only temporary and soon comes to an end. The love story they have ones longed for turns into a horrible nightmare. The emotional words they were once spoiled with turn into howling screams and name-calling. The flattering gifts turn into physical abuse. This relationship is referred to as domestic violence or intimate partner violence. This happens when a partner or significant other declares power, authority and control over the other partner. To maintain this authority and control, the abusive partner uses emotional, physical or sexual abuse over his victim (Alters 27). Victims will desperately look for an exit out of this relationship, but only to be blocked by numerous walls of the despair, fear and misery. Many people are convinced that victims have the option of leaving, but they are too weak and they choose not to. What many people don 't know is, victims of domestic violence have many reasons preventing them from leaving their abusers. In most cases the outcomes of leaving are

Intimate partner abuse is a sensitive social topic as well as an important topic with respect to health care and community nursing (Svavarsdottir, 2010). Nurses should be well aware of the signs and symptoms of intimate partner abuse, but its detection can often be difficult. Specific assessment protocols are often useless in detecting abuse because each situation of intimate partner abuse varies (Svavarsdottir, 2010). While identifying victims of physical abuse is difficult, it must be done to implement interventions to assist these victims. Nurses and health care professionals must be prepared to identify these individuals. In addition to identification of victims of intimate partner abuse, healthcare professionals must be diligent in education, which could prevent future incidences of intimate partner abuse.

Violence against women is a substantial public health problem in the United States. According to data from the criminal justice system, hospital, and medical records, mental health records, social services, and surveys, thousands of women are injured or killed each year as a result of violence, many by someone they are involved with or were involved with intimately. Nearly one-third of female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner (Federal Bureau of Investigation 2001). Throughout this, many will read about intimate partner violence also called

“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.

As per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) physical violence is the premeditated use of physical force with the potential for causing death, disability, injury or harm. Sexual violence is divided into three categories: use of physical force to coerce a person to engage in a sexual act against his or her will, whether or no the act is accomplished; attempted or completed sex act including a person who is incapable of understanding the nature or circumstance of the act, to decline participation, or to communicate reluctance to engage in the sexual act; and abusive sexual contact. Psychological or emotional violence encompasses trauma to the victim caused by acts, threats of acts, or forcible tactics (Saltzman et al.

The targeted objective of this report is to increase awareness for counselors-in-training to incorporate Intimate Partner Violence training in their course of studies. What is Intimate Partner Violence? Intimate Partner Violence is sometimes referred to as domestic violence. It is associated with a display of repetitious violent behaviors between intimate partners in close relationships. Power and control are the antecedents associated with the consistent episodes of this type of violence. According to Erickson (2010) Intimate Partner Violence is defined as "physical, sexual, psychological, and emotional abuse or the threat of abuse from a current or former intimate partner," (227). Any violent behaviors which encompass the actions to

There is a social assumption regarding cases of domestic violence which are often stigmatized by the media and by the overall perception of the impact on the victims. The abuser is often stereotyped as a man who is a crazed psychopath with violent tendencies. This stereotype, while correct in the physical impact of what occurs in most violent perpetrators, does not include the mental health impact on all parties involved when domestic violence occurs. This impact is not only influential on the survivors and children of domestic violence; it is also important to recognize the impact of domestic violence on the mental health of the abuser.

In order to understand the intricacies within relationships, a comprehensive definition of intimate partner violence must first be recognized since recent research has found to produce incongruent determinations of such. Intimate partner violence, also known as domestic violence, is the physical, emotional, sexual, and psychological abuse of a current or former intimate partner. An intimate partner is one with whom there has been a relationship, current or former, including spouses, cohabitating couples, dating relationships, family members, and same-sex couples. It was only recently that acts of violence against an intimate partner were criminalized and remedies sought by victims through court approved action (Carlson, B. E., & Worden, A.

Larry A. Morris, a forensic psychologist with a private practice in Arizona, writes the book named Dangerous Women: Why Mothers, Daughters, and Sisters Become Stalkers, Molesters, and Murderers. This book is about exploring case studies on girls and women who committed violent crimes, including sexual crimes. The book is helping the readers to understand why girls and women commit violent crimes and to give information of domestic violence against women and children which is the significant driving force behind criminal acts. (Larry 28-29). Each woman in this book had a long history of abuse and molestation by fathers, mothers, siblings, relatives, friends, etc. Domestic violence known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family, and intimate partner violence, is defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one partner against another in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation. Domestic violence against women and children is a serious crime. It can happen with anyone, any family, any classes of family, anywhere, and anytime. There are many types of domestic violence such as, threats and intimidation, isolation, verbal and emotional, economic, using religion and spirituality, using children, family, friends or pets, using prejudice and privilege, physic, and sexual (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 261). Domestic violence against women and children can affect and

Physical violence includes slapping, kicking, hitting, and beating; sexual violence includes both forced sexual intercourse and other forms of sexual coercion; emotional abuse (also called psychological abuse) includes insults, belittling, humiliation, and threats of harm; controlling behaviors include isolating a person from friends or family, restricting access to financial resources, employment or medical care (WHO, 2012). Many organizations group child abuse, intimate partner violence, and elderly abuse under the umbrella term “domestic violence” (WHO,

Intimate partner abuse has more commonly and it typically has been called domestic violence or spouse abuse. This type of abuse describes any physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current or former intimate partner or spouse. The definition of intimate partner abuse is any intentional act or series of acts that cause injury to the spouse or intimate partner. Usually the abuse starts as psychological abuse and then gradually turns into physical and possibly sexual abuse. Another reason why it is called domestic violence is that a husband, ex-husband, boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend often causes it. Although women can also be the abusers it is more common for the women to be the victims. In this paper we will discuss an interview that was conducted of a victim of domestic violence. First we will discuss the victim’s background and what her childhood was like, then we will discuss the abuse that she faced, and finally we will discuss what was learned from the interview.

There is no denying that domestic violence directed towards women is a serious problem all over the world, and here in the United States. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that every 9 seconds, a woman is physically assaulted or abused in America.(NCADV) To understand domestic violence, one must first understand what domestic violence can consist of, and that is; the use or threat to use physical, sexual, or verbal behavior to force the partner to do something one wants; to degrade or humiliate; to gain or maintain a sense of power or control; to act out one 's anger inappropriately. Abusive behaviors may include subtle or covert harm as well as life threatening acts of violence. (NCADV) Domestic violence towards women is becoming increasingly talked about and discussed problem, and is receiving more attention than ever. There is now a better understanding on why women are easily targeted, how domestic violence can be stopped, and how a woman can receive help for emotional or physical damages to herself.

Domestic violence is a big social issue in the United States today, as well as all over the world. Domestic violence can be between sibling abuse, elder abuse, spouse abuse, and of course child abuse. But when one talks about spouse abuse it is not just from a marital stand point, but also a dating partner who is in an intimate relationship with each other. Domestic violence is not simply hitting, fighting, verbal argument or any type of physical abuse. It is a form of chronic abuse of power, where one partner is trying to be the dominate one in the relationship by using many form of tortures, threats, intimidation and physical violence to control the victim.