Intimate Partner Violence Essay

Intimate Partner Violence, commonly known as “IPV” is a greatly serious problem that affects many Americans every day. The term essentially describes any harm to a current or previous partner or spouse that is physical, sexual, or mental. IPV can have distinct patterns of severity. The CDC explains that traditionally IPV consist of four main types of violence. Physical violence which is the use of physical force that develops the possibility of disability, harm, injury, or death. Sexual violence which can be used to make someone participate in sexual acts against their will, by the way of restraints on one’s body. Threats of violence which can consist of words, weapons, and gestures with the notion to cause some form of harm. Finally mental/emotional

Many probably wonder why some they “love” would initiate the idea of inflicting pain on them. However many women do not get out of these relationships because they probably are missing pieces that they desire for their lives provided by the abuser. The power of fear could play a part as well, especially when you don’t want the violence to trickle down to your children. An example of intimate partner violence is provided by the film “Enough” starring Jennifer Lopez as the character Slim. Slim meets a guy named Mitch at a diner, the rest is history because she falls in love with him, then they marry and have a child. As the relationship expands, Slim finds that Mitch cheated on her with another woman, so she decides to confront him. When she threatens to leave him, he then becomes violent, and starts slapping and punching her. Throughout the movie his actions seem to get worse, he threatens her, continues to hit her, and even makes an ultimatum on the safety of their

The second is Witnessing Domestic Violence, when children view certain actions at the beginning stages those actions seem correct, and through their life development they will commit these same acts of violence learned based off what they have seen and witnessed. Third is Child Abuse and Punishment, the act of physical punishment amongst children is well known, however when the abuse is consistent through their life course, they can begin to reenact these same punishments on friends, animals, and their significant others when they reach the adult stage. Finally the last condition is Teaching Violence, when you raise up a child through the lessons of violence, it can have a lasting effect on their life course, which will generate violent