Domestic Violence and Abuse: Living Through Marital Abuse

Domestic violence continues to be a critical problem in today's society. Many people view it as a private matter that should not necessitate police intervention and often police have the attitude, "What did you do to deserve it?" Cases of domestic violence brought to trial are hard to prosecute. Victims are sometimes so terrorized that they fear calling the police because of retaliation from the abuser. Because of this, silence becomes prevalent in many cases. Society needs to take a closer look at the many forms of domestic abuse and end the silence with a change in attitude toward domestic violence. The criminal justice system and community need to be educated and act together to help curb the acts of domestic violence.

The victim of domestic abuse or violence may be a man or women. The elements of domestic abuse are intimidation, humiliation, and physical violence. Physical violence includes everything from tripping, restraining, biting, and assault with a weapon, to throwing things. Sometimes the violence escalates to murder. Everyday in the USA more than three women will die at the hands of their boyfriends or husbands.²

All abuse is not physical but can be as damaging with longer lasting effects. Mental, psychological, or emotional abuse can be verbal or nonverbal consisting of more subtle actions and behaviors. The abuser may act in ways from threatening or intimidating to gain compliance, blaming the victim for how he or she acts, isolating the victim from friends and family, to making the victim feel there is no way out of the relationship.

If a partner is physically violent, he or she is usually sexually violent as well. In addition, women that are physically and sexually abused are at a higher risk of being seriously injured or killed. Sexual abuse includes anything from forcing someone to participate in unwanted or degrading sexual activity to forcing someone to look at pornography.