Physical and Mental Abuse in The Yellow Wallpaper
What is Abuse? Abuse is not just being hit. Abuse is any action that is harmful or controlling and that affects the well being of another person. Many people use the term "Abuse" to signify physical abuse, but there are many more ways of abusing someone than beating them. Physical abuse is the most horrifying and most noticeable of them all, but it is only one of the many types of abuse. Here are some of the names for different categories of abuse: Physical abuse, Sexual abuse, Psychological and Verbal abuse, Forced confinement, abuse towards pets or property, Financial abuse, and Child abuse. The two abuses that I will be focusing on will be physical and mental abuse.
I decided to pick the topic of abuse after viewing the movie The Yellow Wall- paper. After watching the movie and seeing how badly Mary Wollstonecraft was treated, it made me want to know more about abuse on women and what could be done to break the chain of abuse. I believe that no abuse is acceptable and that any man that has ever abused a woman in anyway should face major consequences. That is my main point to this paper, that the laws are not strong enough and that more effort should be done so that no women is ever abused in anyway shape or form again. To start, I will give some statistics about police and how they handle calls from wives that have been abused. "Police were more likely to respond within five minutes if the offender was a stranger than if an offender was known to the female victim" ("Response"1). Also, it has been recorded that once a women in Boston called in that her husband had beaten her and the policeman's response was, "Listen, lady, he pays the bills, doesn't he? What he does inside of his house is his business"(Straus, Gelles, and Steinmetz 301). With a response like this, why even bother calling the police. That is why we must come together and start over from the inside out. We need to make every one in any position of power know that any abuse on women is wrong. The truth is that, "90% of all family violence defendants are never prosecuted, and one-third of the cases that would be considered felonies if committed by strangers are filed as misdemeanors (a lesser crime)" ("Response"1).
Like child abuse, it affects every American by impacting those we love the most. Awareness for domestic violence victims has evolved since the beginning of our country. In earlier times, it was a private matter, and took place “behind closed doors”. They helped them past their sufferings and place them back into mainstream culture. (Karmen, 2015) Claims one movement that assisted with the process is the Feminist Movement. This widespread movement took place during the 1970’s, and represented the “beaten women”. It helped them stand up for themselves during their distraught times. Domestic tranquility ensures women their safety at home under their husbands’ protection. The Feminist’s Movement questioned domestic tranquility and urged women to stand up for themselves (Karmen, 2015). They discovered the “silent crisis” that lived inside so many women at the time. The crisis was that the men they married gave into the times of “behind closed doors” and “look the other way”. Those times would stand no more, due to the feminist’s movement and widespread awareness. Laws and legislation have changed since the rediscovery of the victims of domestic violence. One example is restraining orders. Restraining orders set up a level of protection for the women from the male offenders. Another example of legislation is The Violence Against Women Act. Promulgated in 1994 the act mandates that all states enforce protective orders issued in a
As reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, our nation spends 700 billion dollars annually in relation to substance abuse. Substance abuse doesn’t just affect the individual involved, but as well as their family, and the society they live in. There is no single reason why a person chooses to abuse drugs and other substances. A person’s environment, like their socioeconomic status, and family can influence their abuse. Some factors in their environment include peer pressure, stress, sexual abuse, and parental involvement, which can all determine if someone is inclined to abuse any type of harmful substance.
Drugs cause an overall disturbance in a subjects’ physiological, psychological and emotional health. “At the individual level, drug abuse creates health hazards for the user, affecting the educational and general development of youths in particular” (“Fresh Challenge”). In youth specifically, drug abuse can be triggered by factors such as: a parent’s abusive behavior, poor social skills, family history of alcoholism or substance abuse, the divorce of parents or guardians, poverty, the death of a loved one, or even because they are being bullied at school (“Drugs, brains, and behavior”) .
During the 1980s and 1900s, domestic violence was one of the most unreported crimes that involve females and males getting hurt and dying. Kicking, choking, killing, and saying brutal or despise words that could hurt the victims physically or emotionally are considered domestic violence. In fact, many victims are afraid to seek for help. According to “The Domestic Violence Resource Center (DVRC), women account for approximately 85 percent of all intimate partner violence, with women aged 20-24 at greater risk” (Batten, par.16). Most pregnant women are at risk as well. “But underlying approach is still one that assumes the perpetrators are men and the victims are woman” (Haugen, par. 1). Moreover, both males and females believe that domestic violence is a solution to their issues.
There are many factors that may cause a teen to drink or use drugs. Factors may be social, mental, or hereditary. Many reason teens choose to use drugs and alcohol are social factors. Teens may want to fit in with their friends or a certain group. They may also feel mature and grow up while using substances. If teens have mental issues, they may be more likely to use drugs or alcohol. Teens who feel like they are not emotionally connected or loved by their parents are more susceptible to drug use. Teens who have poor self-esteem or emotional or mental health problems, such as depression are also at increased risk for drug use (Teen Alcohol and Drug Abuse). Teens who have alcohol and drug addictions in their family history ...
Many environmental factors contribute to a person’s proneness to substance abuse. These factors include but are not limited to stress, early physical or sexual abuse, witnessing violence, peers who use drugs, and drug availability. (Addiction Science) The desire to be accepted within a particular group often creates an enormous amount of stress in teens. This stress and feeling of alienation is a driving force towards drug use. Research has shown that, “Another important environmental factor is the amount and quality of emotional and social support a person receives. Teens who reported having an adult they trusted and could talk to, for example, have a lower risk of addiction than those who don’t.”(Environmental Factors) An impoverished environment increases the likelihood of substance abuse and addiction as well. Those who are apart of a lifestyle of poverty often experience incarceration and dropping out of school. Those who drop out of school, are unemployed or live in unsafe areas are at “higher risk, especially if their home environment has already exposed them to dru...
Smoking has become a big epidemic in the United States. As a tobacco free person, I want to be able to breathe clean air anywhere I go. As we know, smoking can harm every organ in the body (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). I believe that smoking should be banned in public places such as drinking establishments, hospitals, buses, train stations, and restaurants. Not only does smoking affect the individual smoker, it also causes a number of health problems, increases death rate, and it affects not only the lives, but the health of other people around them. On the contrary, smoking should be banned in public areas for these reasons.
Have you ever met someone who was in an abusive relationship? Have you ever been in one yourself? Well, many people in the United States and around the world are in relationships that involve violence and abuse. Domestic abuse is a serious issue that seems to be taboo in a sense to some. There needs to be change, because it is critical. Many women suffer, and in some cases, men suffer too!
Abuse can happen to anyone, at any age, at any time. This is repetitive acts of behavior of wanting to maintain power and have control over someone whether it be through childhood, adolescents, or adulthood. This subject is sensitive as it impacts so many different people around the world. The topic of abuse is not just a family matter, it comes in all forms, such as sexual, emotional, and physical. Abuse is accompanied by the long term emotional tolls, especially on children because their brains are still developing and can take abuse harder than others. One question to ask, is how does one overcome abuse? As children and adolescents develop, how do they function emotionally and physically? These traumatic experiences that happen through
There are varieties of factors that determine the influence that drugs have on young people. Most young people think that drugs can help them deal with stress; therefore, they decide to use depressants. Depressants make everything slow down, and calm a person giving them a sense of relaxation. The most common depressant used is cannabis, which allows the user to have feelings of relaxation. However, the users are not aware of the fact that these drugs can have problems in the future for them. Another factor of influence is efforts of being rebellious or cool. Teenagers assume that by taking drugs, they will be able to “fit-in” with the “cool crowd”. Therefore, they decide to use stimulants, in the efforts to impress o...
Parents are the primary reason for teen drug use. If a parent builds a strong family foundation adolescents would be less needy of things outside of the home. The lack of communication between teens and their gardians leave teens feeling empty and in turn they experiment with drugs and other addictive substances. The opposition may argue that the main cause of adolescent drug use is the media, peer pressure, and drug dealers. Teens use drugs because they have no true guidance. They lack something in the home whether it is someone to talk to, morals, values, or even responsib...
According to medicne.net, “Individuals who begin using drugs as juveniles are at greater risk of becoming addicted compared to those who begin drug use as an adult due to the immaturity of the teenage brain, particularly of that part of the brain that controls impulses.” This signifies that although popular though says that drug use has no effect on the brain, it actually does and can cause great problems in the future. There are many reasons why teenagers do drugs such as, social pressure, other illnesses such as depression, and it can even be linked to genetics. Many social situations put teens in positions where they feel that the only way to gain acceptance or "be cool" is to do drugs. These adolescents can struggle with self-confidence and the need to make people like them. Boys as well as girls feel these problems.
Have you ever been in a restaurant eating your favorite food, then just when you are about to take a bite, you inhale a cloud of smoke coming from the nearby smoking section? This has been a complaint from many non-smoking restaurant goers. While it is true that smoking cigarettes and breathing them in causes many health problems, is it fair to of take the freedom those Americans who want to smoke and enjoy their meal? This topic is very debatable and in many cases has reached compromises, but I would stand by the argument that smoking should be banned from all public areas because the unfiltered smoke is getting into the lungs of bystanders who do not smoke, and causing some major health problems, and in many cases death.
As soon as someone lights a cigarette and puts it up to their mouth they are just asking for health problems to occur. Smoking cigarettes can cause many problems that affect not only the smoker, but anyone else that is around the smoker. Nonsmokers chose to not smoke because they do not like the health risks or negative effects caused by cigarettes. People that chose to turn cigarettes down should not have to still interfere with the negative effects of tobacco because smokers are too rude to just save the smoking until they are in their own home. People should be able to walk into any public place and not have to breathe in this toxic. Cigarette smoking should be banned from public places because the cigarettes affect anyone who is around
There are laws against being a nuisance, littering, and polluting the air. There are laws against poisoning people, manslaughter, and suicide. Choosing not to smoke has no effect on others and on personal health. But smoking will always affect others and the environment in bad ways. So, a person who wants to smoke can only do so by keeping himself in isolation.