Cycle Of Domestic Violence Essay

Domestic violence is defined as abuse whether physical, mental or emotional, that occurs within a relationship in an attempt to control another (Thawley, 2018). In the past decade, the term domestic violence has become interchangeable with intimate partner violence. Society realizes the importance of treating not only the victim but also the perpetrator; in this way, the cycle of domestic violence can truly be broken. Domestic violence traverses all ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. Moreover, due to prolonged abuse and trauma, many domestic violence survivors experience mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder or depression (Cho & Kwon, 2018). The long-term effects of domestic violence on the victim have been widely researched; however, in recent years there has been an uptick in treatment programs for the perpetrator as well as the victim. Society realizes the importance of treating not only the victim but also the perpetrator; in this way, the cycle of domestic violence can be interrupted or terminated. Keywords: domestic violence, intimate

The victims generally feel shame, fear and genuinely love their abuser therefore the results is an inclination not to report the abuse (The National Domestic Violence Hotline, 2018). Additionally, the victim of domestic violence suffers in silence; many victims are walking wounded afraid to seek assistance. Perpetrators of domestic violence require separate approach to treatment as the clinicians is required to breakdown constructs and beliefs that abuse, whether physical, emotional or sexual, is permissible due to the intimate relationship. Clinicians require a delicate approach with victims and the perpetrators in order to build rapport of trust and honesty, which will enable appropriate referrals to treatment