Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious, preventable public health problem that affects millions of Americans . The term "intimate partner violence" describes physical aggression, sexual coercion, and psychological harm to gain or maintain control by a current or former partner or spouse. It affects all cultures, religions, socioeconomic statuses and ethnic backgrounds; it can take place in a public or private setting.
Women are the most targeted victims of Intimate partner violence; one in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime . But this type of violence can occur among heterosexual or same-sex couples, and does not require sexual intimacy. Intimate partner violence is also identified as domestic violence or battering .
a.**TYPES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE**
Types of violence may include physical abuse such as: hitting, punching, slapping, kicking, choking, biting, burning, using objects or weapons, locking up or confining, depriving of food or income and restricting mobility or access to necessities. Sexual violence acts may include forcing a partner to perform sexual acts, forcing partner into prostitution or interfering with birth control. Criticizing, name calling, decision making and playing mind games are some signs of the many forms of emotional abuse. Financial abuse can be putting partner in debt or not allowing them access to money. Threatening the victim with objects or verbally threatening to hurt them or take something away is also a form of abuse. There are several ways that an abuser can manipulate a victim to gain control and maintain it.
b. **DEMOGRAPHICS**
Ethnicity also plays a large part in domestic violence, the United States alone is an extremely diverse country therefore it may be...
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...as been made with the implementation of intervention for those whom are already IPV victims as well as prevention and educational services spreading across the region to educate women on the red flags of becoming victims.
Works Cited
http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/definitions.html
Saltzman LE, Fanslow JL, McMahon PM, Shelley GA. Intimate partner violence surveillance: uniform definitions and recommended data elements, version 1.0 http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/definitions.html http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/definitions.html
Tjaden, Patricia & Thoennes, Nancy. National Institute of Justice and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, “Extent, Nature and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence: Findings from the National
Violence Against Women Survey,” (2000)
“Domestic violence, or intimate partner violence, is defined as a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks as well as economic coercion that adults or adolescents use against their intimate partners” (Peeks-Asa). When it comes to domestic violence many people don’t want to get involved, but if just one person took a stand maybe others would follow and potentially save a life, like the neighbors did in The Day It Happened by Rosario Morales. Domestic violence can happen to anyone at any time, there is no typical victim or perpetrator. The fact that there is no one specific group that domestic violence occurs in more than another, only makes it more difficult to get an accurate representation of just who is being affected by this crime. “Domestic violence and abuse does not discriminate” (Smith and Segal). Domestic violence can have specific victims such as a spouse or domestic partner, a child, or an elder. Domestic violence can affect men as well as women. Some types of domestic violence are physical, verbal or nonverbal, sexual, stalking or cyberstalking, economic or financial, and spiritual.
The most notable discovery or key concept behind intimate partner violence with women as victims, would be that the overall rates have seen a general decrease. As found in the National Trends in Intimate Partner Homicide report, "Spousal homicide rates for both women and men have declined between 1974 and 2000" (Bunge, 2002). Many of the authors discussed present different perspecti...
Significant studies have been done since the 1980’s, studies that include: how domestic violence impacts the family unit as a whole, treatment methods for the victims, family members, and offenders, as well as policing techniques.
Incidents of IPV are known to include four basic types of behavior, including: Physical abuse, which is when a person either hurts or attempts to hurt their partner by physical force. Sexual abuse is the forcing of an intimate partner to take part in a sexual act without the consent of that partner. Emotional abuse is the act of threatening a partner, his or her possessions or loved ones, or the harming of a partner’s sense of self-worth. Examples of emotional abuse include; stalking, name calling, intimidation, or not letting a partner see friends and family ("Understanding intimate partner," 2006).
Often batterers possess a low self-esteem and gain a sense of power by means of humiliating and controlling their partner. Control techniques can include verbal insults intended to bring down the partner’s self-esteem, threats meant to scare the partner into obedience, or mind games aimed at making the victim feel unsure and weak. Batterers who use physical abuse push, slap, pinch, grab, or use other demonstrations of physical strength to show that they have power in the relationship and to keep the partner from exercising control over their own life. Abusers often show extreme possessiveness of their partner, wanting there their partner to account for time spent away from home or on the phone. Furthermore, sexual abuse further serves to weaken the spirit of the victim and to show that the abuser has total authority. These forms of abuse are but a fraction of the tactics used by batterers to dominate the partner.
Domestic violence (DV) is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence. Domestic violence can include physical, emotional, psychological, financial, and/or sexual abuse. Abusers may use pressure, fear, intimidation, separation, and other behaviors to gain and retain power over their victims.
The Center of Disease Control highlights the corresponding injuries and violence prevention topics through the division of intimate partner violence into four main types, which are physical, sexual, threats of physical or sexual, and psychological or emotional. Physical violence includes the purposeful use of physical force such as shoving, choking, shaking, slapping, punching, burning that results in physical harm, disability, or even death (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Sexual violence is forcing a partner to take part in a sex act when the partner does not consent. Threats of physical and sexual harm communicate the intent to cause death, disability, injury, or physical harm through the use of words, gestures, or weapons. “Psychological or emotional violence traumatizes the victim by acts, threats of acts, or coercive tactics” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). This method can be induced thr...
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), can be described as “"domestic violence," "intimate partner violence" describes physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current or former intimate partner or spouse. This type of violence can occur among heterosexual or same-sex couples (National Institute of Justice, 2007). IPV has both male/female perpetrators and male/female victims. According to the National Institute of Justice (2007), “women are more likely to be victims of stalking and other victimizations than men” There are certain characteristics that allow women to become victims of victimization; early parenthood, severe poverty, and having an alcoholic partner. Black and Hispanic women who are young and live in the city carry a big chance of being victimized, as well as those women who lack an education and live in poverty. On the other hand Meadows (2010) also explains the characteristics of the male batterers. He explains that males become violent against their partner because of insecurity, fear of losing control, jealousy but especially their sole instinct of being in control (p.70).
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is historically referred to as domestic violence. It describes a pattern of coercive and assaultive behavior that may include psychological abuse, progressive isolation, sexual assault, physical injury, stalking, intimidation, deprivation, and reproductive coercion among partners (The Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF), 1999). IPV leads to lifelong consequences such as lasting physical impairment, emotional trauma, chronic health problems, and even death. It is an issue effecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, nationality or educational background. Eighty-five percent of domestic violence victims are women (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2003). More than one in three women in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2012). Thirty to sixty percent of perpetrators tend to also abuse children in the household (Edelson, 1999). Witnessing violence between parents or caretakers is considered the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next (Break the Cycle, 2006).
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), twenty-four people per minute are affected be intimate partner violence. (2013) It is estimated that twelve million people in the United States alone are affected each year. Intimate partner violence includes anything from physical or sexual abuse to psychological abuse to stalking or threats by a current or former partner. This form of violence can occur among couples that identify with any sexual orientation. The CDC reports that individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual are at an equal or higher risk for intimate partner violence. (2013) Sexual intimacy within the relationship is not a requirement for violence to be considered intimate partner violence. (CDC, 2013)
The term "intimate partner violence" describes physical violence, sexual violence, stalking and psychological aggression (including coercive acts) by a current or former intimate partner. Examples of intimate partners include current or former spouses, boyfriends or girlfriends, dating partners, or sexual partners. IPV can occur between heterosexual or same-sex couples and does not require sexual intimacy.
Physical Violence is classified as an act of intentional violence that involves the use of force which could possibly result in physical harm, disability, or even death to the victim. According to Loveisrespect.org, “examples of physical abuse include hitting, scratching, shoving, grabbing, biting, throwing, choking, shaking, kicking, burning, physical restraint, use of a weapon, or otherwise causing intentional physical injury to the victim”
McHugh, M. C., & Frieze, I. H. (2006). Intimate partner violence. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1087, 121–141. doi: 10.1196/annals.1385.011
Mercy, J.A. & Saltzman, L.E. "Fatal violence among spouses in the United States, 1976-85" American Journal of Public Health 79(5): 595-9 May 1989
Domestic violence is skyrocketing in our society. In the U.S., as many as 1.5 million women and 850,000 men were physically assaulted by their intimate partner last year, and numerous children abused by their parents. These sad criminal acts will continue to grow in our society, unless our community takes action to stop these crimes.