What Is Domestic Abuse? Essay

While women are often the victims of intimate partner abuse, the CDC survey found that men are increasingly reporting abuse (Degutis, Frieden, & Spivak, 2010). Approximately 11.2 million men have reported physical or sexual abuse, rape or stalking by a domestic partner (Degutis, Frieden, & Spivak, 2010).

•On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men.

The term domestic abuse has a range of definitions; for example, the official government definition is “any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse [psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional] between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality” (Home Office, 2012). This was later updated to include anybody over 16 years of age and coercive and controlling behaviour (Home Office and Browne, 2012; Home Office and May, 2014).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d.) defines intimate partner violence (IPV) as a “serious, preventable public health problem that affects millions of Americans” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d., p. 1). Through the group discussions we have had in class I have learned that IPV is not a “one fit all” approach, the violence occurs in different levels of severity and frequency. There are four

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pattern of aggressive behavior and coercive behavior that can include physical injury, psychological abuse, sexual assault, progressive isolation, stalking, and intimidation which may take many forms. IPV is a common and significant public health problem that is life threatening and preventable. It affects millions of women regardless of race, ethnicity, age, education, socioeconomic class, or sexual orientation. One in three women in the United States has experienced some form of IPV in their lifetime. (1)

The term describes the abuse, whether mental or physical, between two people who live in the same house or share a personal relationship. This could include parent and child, roommates, same sex couples, husbands and wives or boyfriend and girlfriend living together.

“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.

What is Intimate Partner Violence and who does it affect? According to Wilcoxon, Remley, and Gladding (2013), “Domestic violence or intimate partner violence (IPV) have emerged in the professional literature as descriptors of chronic as well as episodic patterns of abuse, ranging from harsh criticism to aggressive brutality, between adults in intimate relationships” (p.105). IPV does not discriminate, it refers to both married and unmarried individuals. This type of violence affects men, woman, and children.

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.

Domestic violence as well as emotional abuse are behaviors used by one person in a relationship as a means of control over the other person. The status of the relationship between those in a domestic violence situation varies. They can be married or unmarried; heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; living together, separated or just dating. One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. That is an estimated 1.3 million women becoming a victim of physical assault at the hands of an intimate partner each year. Although a vast majority at eighty-five percent of victims being women anyone can fall into the role of being battered regardless of age, sex, race, culture,

One hears about domestic abuse a lot in the news or sees it play out when we watch television shows. It is likely that the majority of people know at least one person who is a victim in an abusive relationship. In the eBook “Perspectives on Verbal, and Psychological Abuse,” Roland Maiuro states that “nearly 50% of both men and women have experienced some form of psychological abuse by their intimate partner” (V). In Tod Robbins’s short story “Spurs,” we witness emotional and physical abuse between Jacques Coube and Mademoiselle Jeanne, a newly married couple that had gotten together for the wrong intentions. There is also emotional and physical abuse seen in Graham Greene’s story “The Basement

Statistics: An over view, Prevalence and Trends,” it states that,” about four to six million relationships suffer from domestic violence.” On the other hand, one of the articles in the Encyclopedia Britannica on this topic says that the number is,” two to four million.” This means that the studies that were done are questionable, also where they got their information is in question, as well. Topped with the year this information was gathered in the article for the reader.

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.

“Every year in the United States there are over 3 million incidents of domestic violence. That means that every nine seconds a women is beaten by her domestic partner” (Findeley). There are many women that stay silent when being abuse by their partners. The consequences of staying quiet when obtaining abuse can be dangerous and can also lead to death. Many women do not recognize the importance of the fact that there is in speaking out if they are being abuse by their partner. No woman should take domestic abuse by their partners. Every woman deserves a healthy relationship; A healthy relationship involves trust, respect, and consideration for the other person. Domestic abuse has gotten worse during the past years and is still rising up. One can see that domestic abuse can occur everywhere. Domestic abuse is considered a crime and woman should not keep silent when being abuse.

In a study conducted by Hines and Saudino (2002), domestic violence in close, intimate relationships is a country wide problem within the United States. The last nationally conducted survey found that an estimated 16 percent of married Americans experienced domestic violence within the previous year. That means that approximately 8.7 million couples have been affected by domestic violence (Hines, Saudino 2002).