Domestic Violence and Women
Every day, various health professionals have to encounter an incident where an abuse victim comes to them for help. But even if you are not a trained professional, you should be familiar with what domestic violence is and what it can do to victims. You will then be better prepared to react correctly should you come across such an unfortunate incident. Helping the victim regain a sense of control over their life should not be your responsibility if you are not a trained professional, but being informed can sometimes prevent the victim from keeping it all inside and self-destructing.
Domestic violence is characterized as a pattern of coercive behaviors that can include repeated beatings and injuries, psychological abuse, sexual assault, progressive social isolation, deprivation, and intimidation. Someone who is or was involved in an intimate relationship with the victim could perpetrate these behaviors. According to official data from police units and medical institutions, gender plays an important role in the dynamics of abuse. More than 85 percent of reported victims of domestic violence are women, and the majority of perpetrators are men. In addition, domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women of all ages and the leading cause of injury to pregnant women and women ages 18-44.
On the other hand, domestic violence is also known as “intimate partner violence or spousal abuse” as experts recognize that men can also be abused in intimate relationships. In addition, many of today’s societies report incidents of domestic violence between gay or lesbian couples, as this type of bullying behavior is not characteristic of a specific sexual orientation. Physical assault, sexual abuse, threats against people, creating stress and psychological harm to children or loved ones, destruction of home or personal property, are some of the most common cases reported as examples of violent incidents. domestic.
Unfortunately, while extremely common, domestic violence is considered an extremely sensitive issue that is not easily reported by victims and therefore remains confined within the particular territory of the neighborhood or even the walls of a family. Some of the most common myths of domestic violence include that it is a pattern of behavior indicative of particular economic and social groups; it is a marital problem; victims will never talk about what they are experiencing; is associated with alcohol or drug abuse; and that violence can be passed from one generation to the next.
In fact, research indicates that violence can be a learned behavior, particularly from observation; however, all men who are violent have no history of childhood violence. Very interesting is the fact that unmarried couples and those who are separated or divorced have higher rates of abuse than those who are married. In addition, the rate of domestic violence varies little between economic and/or cultural groups. Finally, while studies have shown that alcohol and/or drug addiction and violence often co-exist, they are not the result of each other and that violent behavior will not end unless professional treatment and appropriate interventions address both problems; substance abuse and violent behavior.
