Intimate Partner Abuse Case Study

Working with victims of domestic violence can be an extremely rewarding and fulfilling endeavor. One of the most crucial aspects for a paralegal working with victim of domestic violence is adequately engaging in the task of educating oneself to understand the commonalities of such victims and the ordeals that they have been through. Such clients are drastically different from other individuals who have suffered other physical and violent crimes. Understanding the background of someone who has lived through domestic violence is absolutely central to being able to provide adequate and sensitive legal care. Most victims of domestic violence are women (95%) though domestic violence can have an impact on ever age, class, race, ethnic, cultural or religious group (purplerainfoundation, 2012). "In the United States, nearly one in three adult women experience at least one physical assault by a partner during adulthood (American Psychological Association, Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family 1996 Report)" (purplerainfoundation, 2012). These women are often terrified of their partner's temper, apologize when they are abused and often in the most extremely controlling and isolated environment where the abusive partner will control who the partner sees and where the partner goes outside of the home, jealous of outside relationships (purplerainfoundation, 2012). In these abusive relationships the women are hit,

Throughout the world, we hear many stories about individuals being victimized, and individuals who have are the perpetrators. Also, many of these news segments are based off of headed situations between intimate relationships. Many relationships become this way because of stress about work, paying bills, past circumstances, and much more. There are many micro and macro level risk factors that pertain to victims (prior history of intimate partner violence, female sex, and youth), and perpetration (anger issues, low self-esteem, low income, and depression). “These factors are some of the very important factors that shape victimization and perpetration in intimate partner violence” (Seccombe, 2015, p.318).

This summarizes report of the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence 2010 survey, will provide statistical information on victims who experienced one or more violent crimes from their husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend. These crimes arrange from stalking, rape, to physical and mental abuse. It will examine the impact of intimate partner violence on gender, race, and ethnicity. This report will give an overview of health consequences and the implications for prevention for Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence. Lastly, this summary report will provide a definition of what is the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey and how it is developed.

People often wonder why victims, or survivors, of intimate partner abuse endure those harmful and psychologically damaging relationships for so long. The questions constantly ask of them in this society being: “Why didn’t you just leave them?” or “Why did you stay?” This could be considered an honest question, but mostly those words are coated in disbelief or spoken with an undercurrent of hostility. Implying the speaker’s thoughts clearly: “It probably wasn’t that bad” or “It’s your own fault for not leaving them.” This sends a message to those who were, or currently are being, abused: that they’re somehow responsible for their own mistreatment, leaving them feeling ashamed or isolated.

In the United States, approximately 1.5 million women report some form of intimate partner violence (IPV) each year and of those an estimated 324,000 are pregnant (Deshpande & Lewis-O'Connor, 2013). According to Deshpande and Lewis-O’Connor (2013), IPV is defined as abuse that may be actual or threatened by an intimate partner that can be physical, sexual, psychological, or emotional in nature. It is important for health care providers to realize IPV does not only include physical or sexual abuse but also includes name calling, financial control, constant criticism, and isolating women away from their families and friends (Deshpande & Lewis-O'Connor, 2013; Smith, 2008). There are 3 phases of abuse tension building

The CDC reports that nearly half of all men and women in the United States have been psychologically abused by a romantic partner, while around a quarter of women and 1 in 7 men have been physically abused [2]. This is a dramatic difference from areas like the United Kingdom, where 8.2% of women and 4% of men have been abused [3] One in three people experience abuse by a romantic partner by the age of eighteen [4]. In 2015, 87% of hospitalized abuse victims in New York state were women, and were admitted more often than male victims [5]. This can likely be partially attributed to traditional gender roles, which assume that men are “stronger” than women and are “weak” if they are hurt by a woman.

Due to the lack of resources available for members of the lesbian and gay community, I am looking to start a program that caters to that population. The program will assist lesbians and gay folks who are in violent intimate relationships with immediate services aimed at stopping future violence. This program is important because it provides a safe space to an under-served populations that is faced with issues of intimate violence.

As of 2014, the number of women who had been physically abused by their partner in a relationship was 38 million. The APA’s data shows that almost 5 million women experienced physical abuse by an intimate partner. Data also revealed that while 1 in 4 women would be abused, 1 in 7 men would also suffer from intimate partner abuse. 40 to 45% of women would be in an abusive relationship where they were raped or assaulted. The statistics available show that not only in domestic violence prevalent in our society, it is also a huge problem that must be dealt with.

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 violence is the single greatest cause of injury to women. 25% of women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. That is a higher risk factor than many cancers and other diseases (Foushee, J. P. (2016). Even though, women experience domestic violence guys do also. They may be even more ashamed to ask for help. Just because the victim could be a male doesn’t mean they can’t be hurt. No one usually believes males, because they are masculine. Physical is not the only action of abuse to man. There is many causes such as emotional/ psychological/ mental, spiritual, economic, and social abuse. Violence and sexual violence survey, 1 in 4 women (23.3%) and 1 in 7 men (13.7%) have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate

An abusive relationship can take a toll on one’s life and the lives of people around them. In romantic relationships, abuse can range from anything physical to emotional. Physical abuse in romantic relationships is a form of domestic violence, which is all too common in American families. “Intimate partner violence is one of the most common causes of injury in women. In several large studies in US accident and emergency departments, 11-30% of injured women whose mechanisms of injury and relationship to the perpetrator had been recorded had been battered” (Campbell, 2002, p. 1331). In almost 20 percent of all marriages, couples slap, shove, hit, or otherwise assault each other” (Domestic Violence, n.d.). Emotional abuse is even more common and includes, but is not limited to “verbal threats, humiliating or degrading remarks, and controlling behavior” (Domestic Violence, n.d.).

A crime that affects between one and four million women in the U.S yearly is domestic violence. This crime, which many do not know is a federal crime, responsible for about thirty percent of female murders (Asher, Elba, Sugg 1). According to the American Bar Association (ABA), 90-95% of domestic violence victims are women (2) and “ 70% of intimate homicides are female” (2) intimate murder, as opposed to murder by a stranger. Women today need to understand what domestic violence is and need to educate themselves that domestic violence is a serious crime. Domestic violence towards women is the most common form of violence throughout the United States. It affects a woman’s lifespan from health-related problems such as sex

Suddenly changing your appearance and behavior, avoiding contact with family and friends, directs majority or all time to a significant other, being moody and stress, with physical signs of abuse are signs of being in an abusive relationship. Domestic abuse, battering, and spouse abuse are commonly used terms that reflect having complete and utter control and power. These types of abuse have formed a named to sum the types of abuse. Which is called, “Intimate partner violence (IPV) (also called domestic violence, battering, or spouse abuse) is violence commented by a current or former spouse, opposite-sex cohabiting partner, same-sex cohabiting partner, date, or boyfriend or girlfriend (Gosselin, 2014).” Victims of this violence can be of either gender. Intimate violence can viewed as emotional, physical, verbal, economic and sexual abuse. These acts aren’t only taken place in a household; they can take place outside the home in public. This violence has a reoccurring cycle that is meant to be used as an isolation and controlling method. In this cycle it is formed by apologizing, tension, and battering. Which lead to need medical attention, depression and the end of the cycle of death. In many cases this violence has many effects on their children and their health. All of these effects come from cause that could’ve been prevented.

According to the United Nations, “(t)he most common form of violence experienced by women globally is physical violence inflicted by an intimate partner. On average, at least one in three women is subjected to intimate partner violence in the course of her lifetime.” (Patti Duncan, 352). As this quote states, whose information comes from studies conducted by the Secretary-General, domestic violence is a major issue around the world. This violence has deep and lasting consequences for the victims and is a large cause of disability and death. Health issues like depression, substance abuse, and attempted

When most people think of abusers, their minds go straight towards the stereotypical picture of a man beating a women but men are not the only partners in a relationship that can be abusive. Women also violent towards their intimate partners, it is not just a male crime. The stereotyping of males being the abusers has partly contributed to the reason why there isn’t a lot of data on female abusers. It wasn’t until recently that psychologist had started do research in this field. Some of the data that has come from this newly emerging field is interesting. A number of surveys and research studies have found competing ideas about women who commit intimate partner violence. Some say that men and women are both commit about equal rates of intimate partner violence and some goes as far as to say that women commit more than men. Women might use more violence according to some of these studies but the motives and result of the violence is different among men and women.