The Devastating Impacts of Domestic Violence

The paper discusses about the diverse devastating implications attributed to domestic violence. It talks about the immense costs that domestic violence imposes toward the society while at the same time revealing that the act might be fatal to the victims. The paper also reveals that abused women have increased chances of committing suicide. It also discusses the secondary effects of domestic abuse, such as inability to perform daily activities, absenteeism from work, feelings of shame, and distancing from friends, family, and work. Furthermore, the paper deliberates on the negative experiences that children at home experience due to domestic violence while at the same time leading women to face risks of other kinds of violence against women.

Outline 

Introduction 

The influences of domestic violence toward victims are severe

Domestic violence leads to instant injuries, such as assault

The battered women experience gastrointestinal disorders, chronic pain, eating problems, and psychosomatic symptoms (Wong & Mellor, 2014) 

Psychological abuse is perceives as less severe as opposed to physical abuse

However, healthcare advocates and providers worldwide are realizing the catastrophic mental health influences attributed to domestic violence (Katz, 2016) 

The effects comprise of post-traumatic stress disorders, anxiety, and depression

The trauma they experience leads them to result to substance abuse (Jaquier & Sullivan, 2014) 

Thesis: Domestic violence is an issue that has tremendous effects, especially toward women, although it also has implications toward children, family, friends, colleagues, and the society.

Battering imposes intense costs within the society 

Within the U.S., the approximate yearly direct costs of catering for battering women is around $1.8 billion (Wendt, Buchanan, & Moulding, 2015) 

Domestic violence also results to other major indirect costs within the community

In the event of Canada, for example, around 30 percent of battered women refrain from engaging in their daily routines due to violence (Gregory, Williamson, & Feder, 2017) 

Approximately 50 percent of the women are forced to seek sick leave from work due to injuries

A study carried out in Nicaragua reveals that even after regulating the other forces that might influence earnings, abused women earn 46 percent less as opposed to those not subject to abuse (Wathen, MacGregor, & MacQuarrie, 2018) 

In the event of Chile and Santiago, approximations reveal that women suffering physical violence usually generate below half the income of women not experiencing violence (Francis, Loxton, & James, 2017) 

Domestic violence might be fatal 

Partners usually murder women intentionally

The women lose their lives due to the injuries that they experience

Recent U.S. studies reveal have emphasized on strangulation and choking as the tactic that most batterers utilize (Yount, et al., 2014) 

Strangulation or choking rarely leaves any physical marks

As such, the police might fail to realize the need of the patients for medical help or violence’s seriousness (Hughes, Bolis, Fries, & Finigan, 2015) 

Injuries that emanate from strangulation or choking might be lethal

These kinds of injuries might appear mild initially

However, the victim might end up dying within 36 hours (Abraham & Tastsoglou, 2016) 

Abused women have higher chances of committing suicide 

Aside from death due to injury, women subjected to abuse have increased chances of resulting to suicide

Studies reveal that approximately 29 percent of women subjected to abuse within the U.S. attempting suicide are usually battered (Wang, 2016) 

A close link usually prevails between suicide and domestic violence

This is evident in studies carried out in the U.S., Papua New Guinea, Fiji, India, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh (Jaquier & Sullivan, 2014) 

Women subjected to abuse are 12 times more likely to try suicide as opposed to those not subject to abuse (Abraham & Tastsoglou, 2016) 

Secondary influences of domestic abuse also prevail 

The victims of domestic violence have increased chances of failing to perform their daily duties in the expected manner

Domestic violence victims are usually absent from work regularly since they need to visit their doctors often (Wathen, MacGregor, & MacQuarrie, 2018) 

Battering usually results to feelings of embarrassment, shame, and humiliation, especially when marks become apparent

These kinds of individuals end up distancing themselves from family, friends, and fail to report to work (Yount, et al., 2014) 

Due to increased instances of substance abuse and absences, the battered women experience challenges in sustaining stable employment

Avoiding violence might need the victims to leave work, belongings, and home (Abraham & Tastsoglou, 2016) 

Other influences of domestic violence are felt among children, friends, family, the community, and coworkers

The abusers might target friends and family members in retaliation for assisting a woman to abandon a violence relationship or seek help (Gregory, Williamson, & Feder, 2017) 

Children at home experience the effects of domestic violence 

The kids might serve as witnesses but exposed to violence as well leading them to experience harm incidental to abuse

Comprehending the influence of domestic violence on children, particularly the link between child and spouse is crucial (Hughes, Bolis, Fries, & Finigan, 2015) 

It would facilitate in allowing the community to respond to violence

Lack of this foundation would lead the programs developed to assist children to have negative and unintended repercussions on battered women (Wang, 2016) 

They might also be ineffective in assisting kids to cope with and recover from experiencing or witnessing abuse

Domestic violence exposes women to other kinds of violence against women 

Research that the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights carried out in Ukraine and Moldova has targeted domestic violence increase

It reveals that violence might lead to the increase in the vulnerability of women toward trafficking (Francis, Loxton, & James, 2017) 

Women facing violence at home have increased chances of looking for as well as accepting risky jobs abroad

These lead them to face opportunities that subject them to further abuse (Wathen, MacGregor, & MacQuarrie, 2018) 

Conclusion 

Domestic violence has debilitating effects mostly toward women 

The violence leads them to suffer diverse catastrophic effects 

The children in abusive marriages might also experience challenges and violence from the relationship 

The community, friends, coworkers, and family members also suffer 

Domestic violence is an issue that deserves significant consideration due to its damaging effects 

References

Abraham, M., & Tastsoglou, E. (2016). Addressing domestic violence in Canada and the United States: The uneasy co-habitation of women and the state. Current Sociology, 64 (4), 568-585.

Francis, L., Loxton, D., & James, C. (2017). The culture of pretence: a hidden barrier to recognising, disclosing and ending domestic violence. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 25 (15-16), 2202-2214.

Gregory, A. C., Williamson, E., & Feder, G. (2017). The impact on informal supporters of domestic violence survivors: A systematic literature review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 18 (5), 562-580.

Hughes, C., Bolis, M., Fries, R., & Finigan, S. (2015). Women's economic inequality and domestic violence: exploring the links and empowering women. Gender & Development, 23 (2), 279-297.

Jaquier, V., & Sullivan, T. P. (2014). Fear of past abusive partner (s) impacts current posttraumatic stress among women experiencing partner violence. Violence Against Women, 20 (2), 208-227.

Katz, E. (2016). Beyond the physical incident model: How children living with domestic violence are harmed by and resist regimes of coercive control. Child Abuse Review, 25 (1), 46-59.

Wang, L. (2016). Factors influencing attitude toward intimate partner violence. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 29 , 72-78.

Wathen, C. N., MacGregor, J. C., & MacQuarrie, B. J. (2018). Relationships among intimate partner violence, work, and health. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 33 (14), 2268-2290.

Wendt, S., Buchanan, F., & Moulding, N. (2015). Mothering and domestic violence: Situating maternal protectiveness in gender. Affilia, 30 (4), 533-545.

Wong, J., & Mellor, D. (2014). Intimate partner violence and women’s health and wellbeing: Impacts, risk factors and responses. Contemporary Nurse, 46 (2), 170-179.

Yount, K. M., VanderEnde, K., Zureick-Brown, S., Minh, T. H., Schuler, S. R., & Anh, H. T. (2014). Measuring attitudes about women’s recourse after exposure to intimate partner violence: The ATT-RECOURSE scale. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 29 (9), 1579-1605.