Domestic Violence

5 Pages 1212 Words

Introduction Domestic Violence Against Women is a global issue
reaching across national boundaries as well as socio-economic, cultural,
racial and class distinctions. It is a problem without frontiers. Not
only is the problem widely dispersed geographically, but its incidence is
also extensive, making it a typical and accepted behavior. Only recently,
within the past twenty-five years, has the issue been "brought into the
open as a field of concern and study" (Violence Against Women in the
Family, page 38). Domestic violence is not an isolated, individual
event but rather a pattern of repeated behaviors that the abuser uses to
gain power and control over the victim. Unlike stranger-to-stranger
violence, in domestic violence situations the same perpetrator repeatedly
assaults the same victim. These assaults are often in the form of physical
injury, but may also be in the form of sexual assault. However the abuse
is not only physical and sexual, but also psychological. Psychological
abuse means intense and repetitive humiliation, creating isolation, and
controlling the actions of the victim through intimidation or
manipulation. Domestic violence tends to become more frequent and severe
over time. Oftentimes the abuser is physically violent sporadically, but
uses other controlling tactics on a daily basis. All tactics have profound
effects on the victim. Perpetrators of domestic violence can be found in
all age, racial, ethnic, cultural, socio-economic, linguistic,
educational, occupational and religious groups. Domestic violence is found
in all types of intimate relationships whether the individuals are of the
same or opposite sex, are married or dating, or are in a current or past
intimate relationship. There are two essential elements in every domestic
violence situation: the victim and abuser have been intimately involved at
some point in time, and the abuser consciously chooses to use violence ...