What Is Domestic Violence?

“The dominant spirit, however, that haunts this enchanted region, and seems to be commander-in-chief of all the powers of the air, is the apparition of a figure on horseback without a head.” Although the movie Sleepy Hollow is based upon the book The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, there are also distinctions which allow each to tell their own tale. Washington Irving’s short story inspired Tim Burton’s film but did not limit it. The foundations of the two are much the same but their story lines unfold diversely. Some of the similarities include the setting, characters, and plot points. Two of the many contradicting ideas are the character of Ichabod Crane and the conclusions. The similarities and differences of both accounts can be stated plainly

“Domestic violence, or intimate partner violence, is defined as a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks as well as economic coercion that adults or adolescents use against their intimate partners” (Peeks-Asa). When it comes to domestic violence many people don’t want to get involved, but if just one person took a stand maybe others would follow and potentially save a life, like the neighbors did in The Day It Happened by Rosario Morales. Domestic violence can happen to anyone at any time, there is no typical victim or perpetrator. The fact that there is no one specific group that domestic violence occurs in more than another, only makes it more difficult to get an accurate

Domestic violence covers a large array of abuses. Some of the different types of abuse include Physical, Emotional, Verbal, Sexual and Economical. Women suffering abuse usually suffer from all the different types. Often one type of abuse will bleed or lead to another and most abuse cases never start out with something physical. Most of the time one form of abuse is being used to enforce another.

There are many different types of domestic violence. Physical abuse is the most obvious form, but this is not to say that outsiders always recognize it. Generally, physical violence causes bodily harm, using a variety of methods. Slapping, pushing, throwing, hitting, punching, and strangling are only a few methods. An object or weapon may or may not be used. There is not always physical evidence of physical abuse such as bruising, bleeding, scratches, bumps, etc., therefore, absence of physical marks does not necessarily mean physical abuse had not occurred. Physical abuse sometimes escalates to murder (Morris and Biehl 7, Haley 14-17).

Every year, nearly 10 million men and women are abused by an intimate partner in the United States. Intimate partner violence or IPV is defined as any behavior within an intimate relationship that causes physical, psychological, or sexual harm to those in the relationship (Burgess, Regerhr, & Roberts, 2013). Acts of physical aggression include slapping, punching, kicking, beating, and biting. Twenty individuals are victims of physical violence every minute in the United States. Psychological maltreatment is the hardest form of abuse to detect, however it can cause long-term detrimental consequences such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Displays of psychological maltreatment include, but are not limited to verbal attacks, isolating the victim, verbal threats of harm, humiliation, controlling the victim, and stalking. Sexual harm is characterized as any forced sexual intercourse. Research suggests that 1 in every 5 women will be raped in her lifetime (Burgess, Regerhr, & Roberts, 2013).

“We define 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.  Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.”

In the first place, in order to gain a complete understanding of intimate partner abuse, it is of great importance to examine what constitutes and shapes this type of maltreatment against woman. Even though legal definitions vary from one jurisdiction to another, the term intimate partner abuse is described as “a pattern of extremely aggressive and assertive conduct including physical, sexual and psychological attacks, as well as monetary intimidation utilized by adults or adolescents against current or former intimate partners (Child Rights International Network, 2006). Physical violence consists of hitting, smacking, shoving, spitting, kicking, threatening or use of a deadly weapon. Sexual violence is consisting of any sexual act committed against an individual without their willingly consent. The perpetrator may use excessive force, intimidation, and verbal threats in order to achieve maximum pleasure. Psychological abuse is a form of abuse that can have severe and unnoticeable physical

Believe it or not domestic abuse is more than physical. “Domestic abuse includes forced or arranged marriages, sexual, verbal, emotional, and economic abuse as well.”(wiki) Let’s break these down and explain exactly what these types of abuse mean. “Arranged marriages usually occur in many Eastern countries where a child commonly around the age of 5 is married to a much older man who is then used as a wife after her first menstrual period for children and work. Sexual abuse occurs when a man or woman takes advantage of another through rape, drugs, molesting, and even sexual comments. Many know but do not consider the laws on age of consent; if a partner is too young for such a relationship.”(Wikipedia) Verbal abuse consists of yelling and screaming in a way that would be considered bullying. “Emotional abuse is a cycle of intimidation, threats, and undermines self-worth. The abuser in this situation gets in the victims head and makes them feel as though they deserve to be punished. Economic abuse is when the abuser has complete control over the partner’s finances making it difficult for them to escape or have any freedom.”(Wikipedia)

Healthy relationships are what everyone asks for. Weather it’s a romantic relationship, a friendship, or even a family relationship. Unfortunately, unhealthy relationships are more common than they should be, and so is domestic violence. We hear about domestic violence all the time, but we only hear about physical violence, when there is much more than that. Domestic Violence is divided in three sections: physical abuse, mental abuse, and sexual abuse. All three sections can affect the victim mentally, even if it wasn’t direct mental abuse.

These forms include but are not limited to; verbal abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, economic abuse, and other forms of abuse. It is difficult to give a definitive definition for domestic violence as it can take on many different forms, however, one proposed definition that many in the field support define “…domestic violence as an unwanted, deliberate and sustained pattern of culturally inappropriate behaviour by people that harms vulnerable others with whom they have a fiduciary relationship and which primarily occurs in their place of residence.” (Taylor, Pooley, and Taylor, 2014, p. 11). This is a very broad definition intended to include many possible ways which people can fall victim to domestic violence. The factor that makes domestic violence difficult to enforce is that it occurs in a home environment between individuals involved in a close personal relationship. This makes many people, including victims, feel pressured to keep it a private matter, which can lead to a dangerous situation where the abuse gets worse over time.

Physical injury is the most visible form of domestic violence. The scope of physical domestic/intimate partner violence includes slapping, pushing, kicking, biting, hitting, throwing objects, strangling, beating, threatening with any form of weapon, or using a weapon. Worldwide, the percentage of women who suffer serious injuries as a result of physical domestic violence tends to range from 19% - 55%. Physical injuries as a result of domestic violence against women are more obvious than psychological ones, and can be more easily discerned by health professionals as well as courts of law in the context of legal prosecution.[1]

Signs of Sexual and/or Domestic abuse can be seen through the destruction of property, threats to others including children and isolation from friends and family. Physical and mental health can be severely affected if domestic and/or sexual abuse is occurring which can lead to premature death and/or disability. Although the majority of victims that suffer from domestic and/or sexual violence are women, the number of men affected by this has significantly increase as well as in same-sex relationships.

When most people think of domestic violence, they imagine being physical abuse. But being physical abuse is just one type of abuse when defining domestic violence. When imaging or defining domestic violence the three major abuse that factors alone with physical abuse are; sexual, emotional, and economic abuse. The people in our society should put more emphasis on what may cause these types of abuse, and come to terms that it is not right for any human being to go through these types of abuse in fear. The victims should speak up and let their voices be heard and know that they are not alone. People in our society must put emphasis on the alarming effects of domestic violence and that it should come to a stop.

An abuser might do several acts of physical harm. For example pushing, shoving, chocking, biting, hitting, and punching. Even though all domestic violence are severe. In my opinion mental abuse is pretty bad. It affects your brain, our everyday life, your self-esteem. Being called names, being criticized, humiliated, and isolated. Being isolated is social abuse. The abuser wants to control the victim all the time. They want to know their every move and second of the day. The cycle of violence come in three stages. 1. Tension building stage (tension in the relationship builds over time.) 2. Acute Battering Stage – (tension erupts resulting in threats or use of violence and abuse). 3. Honeymoon Stage (Where the abuser is apologetic and remorseful and promise not to be abusive, again). (Coleman, G. D. 2007) The abuser will keep the victim from family and friends. Being in a social abuse relationship it damages the victim’s social relationship. Economic abuse is keeping the victim from working and controlling the finances. The victim has to ask for money and when there is not enough then they have to do without. When you are being forced to have sex, get a sexually transmitted disease or unwanted touching anywhere on your body it is a sexual abuse in domestic violence. Some abusers doesn’t want them to have anyone else and will tell them that they can’t live without them or the abuser can’t have the victim then no one else will either.

Psychological violence is also known as emotional abuse or mental abuse. Psychological violence or abuse often leads to psychological trauma such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic disorder. It occurs when person’s behavior, words and gestures causes emotional damage to other person. Marshall (1996) has argued that some forms of psychological violence often expressed in a “helpful” or “loving style” such as I love you I can’t see you with other person. According to Marshall, these types of emotional abuses are result in different effects on the victim.