The Impact of Domestic Violence

791 Words2 Pages

Imagine always coming home scared and not knowing when the next time your spouse will put his or her hands around your neck. You constantly live in fear, but you have no one to turn to talk about what is going on in your household. This violence at home is only one aspect of domestic violence. Domestic violence can encompass all aspects of inappropriate behavior towards another spouse, can be caused by a variety of personal issues, and can demonstrate a lifetime of negative effects. First of all, in order to understand the impact domestic violence causes, one must know what “domestic violence” means. When the term “domestic violence” is used, for many, the idea of physical abuse only comes to mind. However, domestic violence can be much more than just physical abuse. Domestic violence can be seen in countless cases 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.”, (USDOJ: Office on Violence Against Women: Crimes of Focus: Domestic Violence) Domestic violence can range from not only physical abuse, but also to abusing a partner’s emotions, forcefully restricting a partner’s money spending habits, and assaulting a partner with unwanted sexual contact. The cases for domestic violence have been dramatically increasing in the United States. Although domestic violence can make its way into any relationship, it is seen most commonly against women. Often times women believe that they are the ones that cause their partner to become violent in the relationship, however this is not the case. When dealing with domestic violence in relationships, there could be a variety of different reasons as to why it occurred. In many cases, women blame... ... middle of paper ... ... could have been so shocking and scarring that victims can suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. Victims of domestic violence can also find themselves going through periods where they separate themselves from family and friends and fall into depression. Although these effects are severe, victims can seek treatment from domestic violence groups and shelters. As we can come to conclude, the issue of domestic violence has quickly become common among many relationships throughout the United States. The characteristics of domestic violence can vary in different relationships, however, despite the inappropriate actions, they all have the same intent, which is to some how inflict harm on another person. The origins of domestic violence can often come about through deep-rooted emotional struggles and can cause great trauma to the victims that can last a lifetime.

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