Domestic Violence and Abuse: A Global Epidemic

Domestic violence is a serious issue that negatively impacts women in our society. “Domestic abuse is a violent confrontation between family or household members involving physical harm, sexual assault, or fear of physical harm” (Domestic Violence). Although domestic violence can impact men as well, this type of abuse seems to be more prevalent among women. This abuse destroys families and can even lead to death in some cases. Even though there has been improvement in spreading awareness about this social injustice, much more work must be done to put an end to domestic violence to protect families around the world.

Domestic violence is much more common than one may think. In fact, “a woman is beaten by her husband or partner every fifteen seconds in the United States” (Domestic Violence). This statistic doesn’t take into account how many women are verbally abused or women who are abused worldwide. It’s overwhelming to think how many women experience domestic violence each and everyday. More than likely, you have encountered a woman who is represented by this statistic. By the time physical abuse starts, a woman has already suffered from psychological abuse in a relationship. Women lose their self-esteem and dignity and often times feel alone. The immediate effects of abuse are heart-breaking when put into perspective. “‘I was very frightened of him, I had a great fear of him in my mind, it was like a beast had come, not a husband. I would shake if he came into the room. I would go to one side of the room and stay there and shake”’ (Fawcett, Featherstone, Hearn, and Toft 12). Many times, women are too afraid to report abuse to the police in fear of losing their husbands or making matters worse. Women sometimes are afraid of what...

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... domestic violence, we can change the world one woman at a time.

Works Cited

“Clarkprosecutor.org.” Domestic Violence. Clark County, n.d. Web. 7 Nov 2011. .

"Eve Foundation Ending Violence Everywhere." Domestic Violence Statistics. Eve Foundation, n.d. Web. 7 Nov 2011. .

Fawcett, Barbara, Brid Featherstone, Jeff Hearn, and Christine Toft. Violence and Gender Relations Theories and Interntions. London: Sage Publications, 1996. 12-13. Print.

Groban, Margaret. United States. Federal Domestic Violence Laws and the Enforcement of These Laws. Print. .

“Violence Against Women, A Majority Staff Report,” Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, 102nd Congress, October 1992, p.3.