Intimate partner abuse consist a series of offensive deeds done by a spouse to his or her current or former partner. In the United States, statistics show that a woman is beaten every nine seconds (National coalition against intimate partner abuse, 2015). Not only in the United States does intimate partner violence takes place, but also around the world, in different cultures, ethnic groups, religious groups in society. Even though physical violence is assumed to be emphasized by intimate partner violence, this form of abuse is extended in financial, psychological, sexual, and emotional abuse (Patra, et al., 2018). Intimate partner abuse is not a new act, but this form of abuse has its historical background. Indeed, intimate partner violence is a universal issue which needs intervention at every levels as well as extensive research on its background, possible causes, effects, and solutions.
History of Intimate Partner Abuse
Intimate partner violence is assumed to have begun in the 1800s, where wife-beating was legally accepted as an action of a man having authority over his partner. However, this changed in the 19 th century with the first-wave feminist movement within the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries around the world (Patra, et al., 2018). Besides, women were able to look for a lawful split-up from a violent spouse in the court, which was made possible by the United Kingdom Matrimonial Causes Act. The act of the husband to physically punish their spouses was legally rejected in the late 1870s. As years progressed, in the 20 th century, police were allowed to intervene in intimate partner violence cases. Even so, arrests were rare. However, intimate partner abuse has only been addressed from the late 20 th century.
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In most countries, there was little protection against intimate partner abuse either in law or practice before the late 20 th century. Strategies for confronting intimate partner abuse: A Resource Manual is a publication published in 1993 which advised countries to treat intimate partner violence as a crime. It further stated that the obligation to mistreat kinfolks and intimate partners was not inclusive in the right to a private family. This move, together with the first-wave feminist movement is an example of approaches made that helped to fight intimate partner violence in the past decades
Causes of Intimate Partner Violence
IVP occurs when one mate in an intimate relationship feels the need to take control of the relationship or dominate the other person. This feeling of taking control in a relationship may be caused by several factors such as low self-esteem, anger issues, jealousy and inferiority in education and socioeconomic background (Patra et al., 2018). Moreover, due to different traditional beliefs, some people may feel that it is their right to control their partner. Other people may obtain this behavior from growing up in a domestic family where they learned that intimate partner violence is a norm (Patra et al., 2018). Summarizing, these causes can be categorized into three factors; relationship factors, individual factors, societal and community factors.
Taking control over the other partner can be in sexual, physical, or emotional abuse. Interaction of individual and situational factors can be a cause of violence in a relationship. The violent behavior can be learned through family members, community, and cultural influences as these violent people were growing up. Besides learning violence from a family or community, they may be victims of violence themselves (Gerino et al., 2018). Therefore, the belief that violence is a reasonable way to resolve issues between people is often adopted by people who have witnessed or are victims of violence. Drug abuse and misuse is also a cause of intimate partner violence (Patra et al., 2018). A victim of drug addiction may be involved in violence since he will not be able to control his violent impulses towards their partner. The mentioned above causes of intimate partner violence are just a few. In summary, the causes of intimate partner abuse can be relationship causes, personal causes, societal, or community factors. These causes cannot be used as justifications for the actions of the abuser or as a rationale for their abusive behavior. No matter the cause, abusers are needed to get help for their abusive and violent behavior.
Impact of Intimate Partner Abuse
Intimate partner abuse can directly or indirectly affect the victim’s life and health. The consequences of intimate partner abuse can persist long, even after the abuse has ceased. The level of impact of such violence is determined by how severe the abuse was. The results of Intimate Partner Abuse vary from physical damage, mental damage, impact on sexual and reproductive health, unwanted pregnancy, homicide naming a few (Gerino et al., 2018). Physically, a victim of violence can suffer from lacerations and abrasions; bruises and welts; fractures and broken bones or teeth; abdominal or thoracic injuries; back and neck injury; attempted strangulation; sight and hearing damage and head injury (Patra et al., 2018). Also, the victim can suffer from functional disorders, which are ailments that have no possible medical cause. Such functional ailments include fibromyalgia, exacerbation of asthma, and chronic pain, among others.
High levels of depression, anxiety, and phobias are mental effects of men and women who are in abusive and violent relationships. The mental effects are also emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, and attempted suicide in the end (Gerino, et al., 2018). Reproductive health adverse effects are often suffered by females than men, and these may include unsafe abortion, unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, and sexual dysfunction (Patra et al., 2018). Moreover, pelvic inflammatory disease and urinary tract infections are adverse reproductive and sexual effects. Violence during pregnancy can result in late entry into prenatal care, premature labor, premature babies, and miscarriage. Lastly, homicide often occurs in the process of Intimate Partner Abuse.
Ways to overcome Intimate Partner Abuse
Intimate partner abuse has become a severe matter with harmful effects in individuals and society; therefore, addressing prevention strategies and solutions to this problem is essential. These prevention efforts are meant to reduce intimate partner abuse by enhancing good, polite, and peaceful relationships (Kalunta-Crumpton, 2017). Also, prevention of Intimate Partner Abuse, care for victims, and lessening of the temporary and permanent effect are aims of intimate partner abuse prevention strategies (Niolon, Kearns et al., 2017). This strategy can be achieved when all classes of social ecology influencing intimate partner abuse: personal and society are addressed of change.
One of the approaches is to educate people on how to build healthy relationships to individuals and society. In this case, social-emotional learning programs are designed and set out for youths while healthy relationships programs designed for couple’s strategies (Niolon et al., 2017). This approach can significantly help to improve or change the different perspectives of relationships. Another strategy is to involve influential adults and peers by organizing educative programs related to family issues (Kalunta-Crumpton, 2017). Disturbance of the continuous improval of trails toward spouse abuse can be done by providing nurturing skills, household relationship programs, and care for at-risk children, youth, and folks (Niolon et al., 2017). Furthermore, an early childhood visitation can be done as well as family engagements during preschool activities are ways to avoid ways leading to partner violence .
The influence of community environments can also be acknowledged to create protective environments and social connections. Creating protective environments for individuals is attained by the enhancement of administrative rules and workplace environment and adjustments of social and physical environments (Niolon et al., 2017). Another solution to intimate partner abuse is to support and strengthen economic support for families by strengthening work-family support and household financial security. Lastly, offering support to survivors is essential in increasing safety and reducing harm or long term impact of intimate partner abuse (Kalunta-Crumpton, 2017). Approaches to support survivors include offering victim-centered services, patient-centered approaches, housing programs, and civil legal protections.
Conclusion
Intimate Partner Abuse is a global phenomenon that should be highly considered. Men and women, teenagers, youth, and adults are all victims of intimate partner abuse. Whoever the victim is or the type of intimate partner abuse, the impact of such abusive acts can be short term or long term. However, in most cases, the effect on the victim is long term if the abuse was severe. In this case, efforts should be made to reduce cases of intimate partner abuse and support offered to those who experience this abusive act. Efforts to reduce intimate partner abuse can start on an individual basis to the community to add up on the government and legal intervention. When this is done, the cases on Intimate Partner Abuse will gradually reduce.
References
Gerino, E., Caldarera, A. M., Curti, L., Brustia, P. & Roll, L. (2018). Intimate Partner Abuse in the golden age: Systematic review of risk and protective factors. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1595-14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01595
Kalunta-Crumpton, A. (2017). Attitudes and solutions toward Intimate Partner Abuse: Immigrant Nigerian women speak. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 17 (1), 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748895816655842
Niolon, P. H., Kearns, M., Dills, J., Rambo, K., Irving, S., Armstead, T. & Gilbert, L. (2017).
Preventing Intimate Partner Abuse across the lifespan: A technical package of programs, policies, and practices . Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Patra, P., Prakash, J., Patra, B. & Khanna, P. (2018). Intimate Partner Abuse: Wounds are deeper. Indian journal of psychiatry , 60(4), 494–498. https://doi.org/10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_74_17
