Domestic Violence Definition – So, what is Domestic Violence? Domestic Violence (also named domestic abuse or family violence) is violent or aggressive behavior within a domestic setting, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse or partner. With domestic violence there is a pattern of one person in a intimate relationship trying to dominate or control the other person. It can take place in heterosexual or even same-sex relationships, as well as former spouses or partners. If you look at domestic violence in a broader way it can involve violence against children, teenagers, parents, and even the elderly. There are many different types of abuse, these include physical, verbal, emotional, economic, religious, reproductive, and sexual abuse. Domestic violence most often occurs when the abuser feels entitlement, and their abuse is not only acceptable but also justified and the incident will most likely go unreported. Throughout the world, many victims of domestic violence are overwhelmingly women and when looking at that scenario, the abuse is typically more violent. Women are also more likely to use violence in self-defense. The sad truth is that domestic violence is among the most under-reported crimes throughout the world for both men as well as women, many cases never see the light due to the abuse mostly happening behind closed doors. Unfortunately, due to social stigmas men are usually overlooked by healthcare workers for the likelihood of domestic violence. Approximately, 29% of women and 10% of men are victims of domestic violence? On average, every 1 in 4 females and every 1 in 7 males have experienced physical assault by their partners. In the just the United States, as many as 24 people every minute becomes a victim of stalking, physical attack, or rape. That is approximately 12 million victims per year! The worst part is that it doesn’t stop there, these are just a few statistics! The real issue is that this is far bigger than these statistics. Why aren’t we talking about these issues more? Why are we staying silent? Unfortunately, that there is a lack of proper knowledge and awareness in addition to the overall fear that a victim faces when they do try to confront it. Additionally, it is extremely hard to prove without physical proof or witnesses. Many abusers don’t even recognize that they, themselves, are the abusers. Victims of abuse sometimes don’t realize it because they are also uneducated to the widely under-recognized issues regarding domestic violence. In abusive relationships, there is typically a cycle of abuse and during that cycle tensions will rise and then ultimately an act of violence is committed, which is then followed by reconciliation and calm. The cycle continually repeats itself over and over again. Usually with each act of violence, the subsequent acts of violence are more severe. The chart below is a better visual showing the cycle of domestic violence:  |
