Domestic violence has become quite common in relationships today. It is believed to be mostly imposed by men on women, or even children for different reasons. Many people who are in abusive relationships hardly speak to anyone about it. Domestic violence, also known as family violence, refers to the violent, abusive or intimidating character in a relationship. It occurs in different forms such as physical, emotional, sexual or social violence. People who are subjected to domestic violence are advised to seek help and support in organizations that aim to solve such issues. Physical, mental and verbal abuses can bring distress and harm to a person’s wellbeing as discussed hereinafter.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse in domestic violence is an intentional act which results in injury or trauma (Tsavoussis, 2014) to another person by the way of body contact. In most cases, children have been found to be the main victims however, there are rising cases of adults becoming victims as well especially women. It involves physical assault, physical violence, and sexual abuse.
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In many relationships, physical abuse often starts gradually, for instance, one can push or slap the other, and this behavior worsens over time. Types of physical abuse include biting, pushing slapping, kicking, choking, throwing things, force-feeding or food denial, physically restraining a person and reckless driving among others. Many victims of physical abuse claim that it started with just a slap or a push and became intense gradually. The abuser in most cases blames the victim for doing something that led to their violent behavior or they claim that their violent act resulted from the influence of alcohol or drugs, stress or frustrations.
Short-term physical effects include minor or serious conditions such as bruises, cuts, broken bones or injuries to other organs inside one’s body. Effects that result from sexual violence include unplanned pregnancies, pelvic pain or vaginal bleeding, trouble sleeping due to trauma and sexually transmitted diseases. Physical abuse to a pregnant woman can hurt the unborn child. Many children who are raised in an environment where they experience domestic violence can be affected. They might become victims of physical abuse. Physical abuse in most cases results in mental health problems in the long run. People may start abusing alcohol, drugs or engage in risky behaviors such as engaging unprotected sex. Sexual violence affects someone’s perception of their own bodies. This can end up developing unhealthy eating patterns or eating disorders. However, people who experience physical abuse should know that they are not alone and can find help in resources which are meant to help them cope with such challenges.
Children are vulnerable to physical abuse. It can result from a physical discipline which might be extremely violent. For instance, a parent can hit a child with a belt which might result in bruises or a broken arm in cases where children misbehave. Children who are exposed to or are victims of physical abuse may develop aggressive behavior as they grow up. They might have issues with their self-esteem and develop learning problems. Such children are at risk of engaging in criminal behavior, engage in alcohol abuse or engage in promiscuous behavior. They suffer from emotional problems that can result in depression or suicide. Parents should keep a close watch on children in case of any changes as the abuse might come from relative or even friends.
Mental Abuse
Mental abuse, which is also known as emotional abuse, is the kind of violence which affects one’s mind (Carballeira,2015) leaving them with a feeling of unworthiness and lack of empowerment. Mental abuse can be extremely hurtful. It may occur in cases where one is treated in a way that makes them upset, ashamed or embarrassed. The offender may say mean things to the victim, threaten, insult, tell them to make poor decisions, isolate them from friends and family and they always ignore their feelings. An emotional abuser makes their victims feel like they are stupid, unworthy and not good enough. The victims feel that other people will not want to be associated with them
People who are at risk of mental abuse are those that abuse drugs or alcohol, those that have partners who abuse drugs and alcohol and people who are in relationships whereby one person is more dominant than the other. The signs include yelling, insulting, threats and intimidations, isolating, humiliating and denial of the abuse among others. In its early stages, emotional abuse starts by one partner emotionally abusing the other to show dominance. The abused feels guilty but not over something that they have done, but over the consequences of their actions. Abusers always make up excuses to avoid taking responsibility for their actions.
Short-term effects of emotional abuse include denial, confusion, fear, hopelessness, and shame. The abuse can also result in behavioral and physical effects such as difficulties in concentrating, moodiness, muscle tension, nightmares and racing heartbeat among others. Long-term effects of mental abuse include the development of anxiety (Young & Widom, 2014) , chronic pain, guilt, insomnia, and social withdrawal or loneliness. It can contribute to the development of conditions such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Emotional abuse can go unnoticed in children. Children may develop social withdrawal, regression and sleep disorders in circumstances where they are emotionally abused by parents. Such conditions, if left unresolved, can continue into their adulthood and make them more vulnerable to more mistreatment. Research says that most children who are emotionally abused do not grow up to abuse others but rather are more likely to engage in toxic behaviors. Adults who were abused emotionally while they were children have high chances of developing chronic health disorders such as heart disease, mental health issues eating disorders, obesity and substance use disorders.
Verbal Abuse and its Effects
Verbal abuse is a kind of domestic violence which does not leave any evidence as compared to physical abuse. It occurs when a person insults, denounces or forcefully criticizes another person. It is mostly a result of anger and hostility. It is also vital to note that verbal abuse intents to harm the self-worth of the victim and enhance negative emotions. Most people engage in verbal abuse when they are under stress or physical discomfort. However, other people use it as a way of manipulating others or to get revenge.
One might suffer in silence and isolation. The abuse often takes place in private. Often, the perpetrator of verbal abuse in domestic violence is the man (Kelly & Westmarland , 2016). Angry outbursts and sarcasm are often targeted towards the victim. It usually attacks the abilities of the victim making them feel like they are the cause of the problem. It becomes manipulative and controlling with time. The victim’s self-esteem gradually diminishes without them noticing. They may get in a situation of trying to change their behavior with the aim of not upsetting the abuser. In most cases, verbal abuse may begin as a joke which later becomes more serious and can escalate to physical abuse.
People who engage in verbal abuse such as bullying have the aim of gaining status such as superior to their victims and to get other people to join them against the victim. It occurs in different forms such as name-calling, use of shameful words, the offender makes jokes at the expense of the victim and the victim gets humiliated in public, criticized and often gets threatened. The abusers are not willing to accept their partner as their equal hence uses the abuses to inflict psychological pain to the victim.
Just like other forms of domestic violence, verbal abuse leaves long-term impacts on the victim. They can experience anxiety and depression in most cases. Research has shown that children who experience verbal abuse from their home or from their peers get depression and anxiety when they become adults (Lereya et al., 2015). It causes the victims to view themselves from a negative perspective and this contributed to them developing low self-esteem. It causes emotional pain and the victim succumbs to mental anguish. Just like physical abuse, verbal abuse can be detrimental to a person’s health although it does not leave behind physical bruises.
In conclusion, Domestic violence brings abuse of power among families and may end trusted and dependency relationships. It can happen to anyone regardless of the race, religion and status quo of the victim. It is a serious criminal offense which can end up in death or can make the victims become disabled. Physical abuse can end up in a person sexually assaulting or in worst cases, killing the other person. Most people remain silent about this issue which in turn causes long-term effects to the victim such as depression. In some cases, domestic violence occurs due to cultural effects. Some cultures use it as a way of men showing their masculinity by making their wives to be under their control. Women who disobey their husbands may face violence. Such cultures should be brought to an end. It is wrong for men to believe that the notion of their masculinity is reflected by the degree on which they control their wives. If this issue is not addressed with the urgency that it requires, it will go on among all classes of the society without an end. People who go through domestic violence are advised to seek help and try to get out of such life-threading relationships.
References
Tsavoussis, A., Stawicki, S., Stoicea, N., & Papadimos, T. J. (2014). Child-witnessed domestic violence and its adverse effects on brain development: a call for societal self-examination and awareness. Frontiers in public health , 2 , 178.
Rodríguez Carballeira, Á., Saldaña, O., Almendros, C., Martín-Peña, J., Escartín Solanelles, J., & Porrúa, C. (2015). Group psychological abuse: Taxonomy and severity of its components. European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context, 2015, vol. 7, num. 1, p. 31-39 .
Young, J. C., & Widom, C. S. (2014). Long-term effects of child abuse and neglect on emotion processing in adulthood. Child abuse & neglect , 38 (8), 1369-1381.
Kelly, L., & Westmarland, N. (2016). Naming and defining ‘domestic violence’: Lessons from research with violent men. Feminist review , 112 (1), 113-127.
Lereya, S. T., Copeland, W. E., Costello, E. J., & Wolke, D. (2015). Adult mental health consequences of peer bullying and maltreatment in childhood: two cohorts in two countries. The Lancet Psychiatry , 2 (6), 524-531.
