This post was developed via a partnership with BetterHelp.
Every year, an astounding 10 million people in the United States are victims of domestic abuse, making it one of the most alarming statistics in the world. Domestic violenceaffects around one in four women and one in nine males, a figure that is believed to be underreported. Health workersare likely to come across domestic violence victims at some time in their careers. A youngster, elderly family members, or other members of the family may also be abused. Family violence refers to instances like these.
Physical abuse is one of the most common forms of abuse, and its telltale signals serve as obvious indicators of mistreatment in the home. Other forms of abuse, on the other hand, may not cause physical pain, but this does not lessen the impact they have. This pagehas additional resources as to what the risk factors of domestic violence are, as well as what you can do if you encounter these signs in a loved one or in yourself. When it comes to domestic violence, we'll be talking about the various forms of abuse that exist on the spectrum.
A prevalent kind of domestic violence, as evidenced above, is this. The harshness of this treatment can vary, but generally includes shoving, hitting, stabbing, burning, and biting, among other things.
There are many more forms of physical abuse, such as:
- Depriving someone of basic necessities such as rest and nourishment
- Refusing essential items such as important medication
- Forcing a victim to leave their residence
- Refusing to help someone who is ill or injured
The non-physical characteristics of emotional abuse make it more difficult to assess. The words and acts that a person uses to berate, shame, or otherwise break down another person's self-esteem can be used to identify this type of behavior.
A person's emotional and psychological health is deliberately targeted in this form of abuse. There are several ways in which an abuser can distort reality in order to confuse his victim. Gaslighting is the term for this type of deception.
Emotional violence can be regarded as either a direct threat to the victim's physical safety or as a threat to the victim's relationships with others. In order to control their victims, abusers may even make threatsto kill themselves. When a person's demands and wants are consistently neglected, they may be subjected to emotional abuse. Emotional abuse occurs when an abuser assaults a person's self-worth and esteem, or utilizes coercion that diminishes or disempowers them.
Domestic abuse that takes the form of isolation can be perpetrated by the abuser or the victim for a variety of reasons.
The abuser's primary goal is to keep a tight grip on their victim. Keeping them away from loved ones, acquaintances, and coworkers who could try to offer advise or protection against their perpetrator is one option.
In order to maintain control over his victim, the abuser can restrict who his victim can and cannot see. Because their only human interaction is with their abusive partner, the victim may become socially isolated.
It is not uncommon for someone suffering from abuse to avoid social situations with loved ones and friends for fear that those around them would notice the bruising, cuts, and other wounds that have been sustained as a result of their encounters with these people.
This is a particularly heinous form of psychological and emotional torture.
Stalking, in a nutshell, is the unwelcome and relentless pursuit of someone else. The individual on the receiving side of this pursuit is likely to dread bodily harm or death for themselves, their family, or other loved ones.
Even after a relationship has ended, stalking can occur. Tormenting behavior includes stalking, breaking into the victim's house, reading the victim's correspondence, following the victim as he or she goes about his or her daily routine, violating restraining orders, etc.
Using their power over the relationship's financial resources, the abuser oppresses their victim. Limiting or restricting the victim's access to funds is an example of this. It can also be encountered in situations where the victim is kept on a stipend or is denied any say in the distribution of financial resources.
The victim's capacity to make a living may be taken away by the abuser. This can be accomplished by not allowing them to continue working. Additionally, a victim's employment may be terminated by their abuser because of their sabotage. They may even restrict the victim access to means of transportation to and from their place of employment. Expenditures designated for household necessities can likewise be wasted by a financial abuser. This type of maltreatment has a disproportionately high toll among the elderly.