Domestic Violence

1.Introduction

1.1. I have recently read a very interesting book about a numerous family. The fact that I hate is the aggression towards their children. I was shocked to realize that nowadays one of the most important problem all over the world is domestic violence. Home violence is extremely dangerous especially for children. They live with scary noises, yelling and hitting. They are afraid for their parents and themselves. Children feel terrible that they cannot stop the abuse. If they try to stop the fight, they can be hurt. They can also be hurt by things that are thrown or weapons that are used. Children are harmed just by seeing and hearing violence. They may also fell like violence is their fault.

1.2. Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, or intimate partner violence) occurs when a family member, partner or ex-partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate another.

Domestic violence often refers to violence between spouses, or spousal abuse but can also include cohabitants and non-married intimate partners. Domestic violence occurs in all cultures; people of all races, ethnicities, religions, sexes and classes can be perpetrators of domestic violence. Domestic violence is perpetrated by both men and women.

Domestic violence has many forms, including physical violence, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, intimidation, economic deprivation, andthreats of violence. Violence can be criminal and includes physical assault (hitting, pushing, shoving, etc.), sexual abuse (unwanted or forced sexual activity), and stalking. Although emotional, psychological and financial abuse are not criminal behaviors, they are forms of abuse and can lead to criminal violence. There are a number of dimensions including:

- Frequency: on/off, occasional and chronic.

- Severity: in terms of both psychological or physical harm and the need for treatment.

- Transitory or permanent injury: mild, moderate, severe and up to homicide.

- Mode: physical, psychological, sexual and/or social.

Physical Kicking, punching, shoving, slapping, pushing, burning, biting, choking or kicking.

Sexual Forced or pressured sexual acts, criticizing his/her body parts and rape (even if married).

Emotional Excessive jealousy, crazy making, mind games, isolation from friends and family, making the victim feel worthless and threats.

Verbal Name calling and put-downs.

Spiritual Attacking the victim’s spiritual or religious beliefs or misquoting scripture to justify abuse.

Financial Controlling the victim’s economic status and basic needs, withholding money and prohibiting the victim to work.

Destructive Acts Destruction of victim’s property, vandalism and harming or killing pets.

Homophobic Threatening to "out" the victim’s sexual orientation.

Immigration Using fear of deportation.

1.3. Breaking the cycle of violence begins with prevention.

In the face of abuse and assaults a battered woman with a children often confronts two kinds of difficult decisions. First, how will she protect herself and her children from the physical dangers posed by her partner? Second, how will she provide for her children? This second set of social and economic risks are central in each battered woman’s calculation of her children’s safety. The main purpose of this project is to show how to protect yourself and your family from domestic violence. There are several points how to prevent or protect a battered woman and child:

• Work with shelters for abused women so that the women and children have somewhere to go for safety.

• Learn how to develop a Safety Plan for both women and children.

• Work with local child protective agencies to find resources to help children cope.

• Help children learn non-violent conflict resolution, anger control and other skills which will serve them well in their future relationship.

• Learn how to help battered women and their children safely leave the violent situation.

There are ways to help women and children cope with family violence. The first step is to learn as much as possible about the dynamics of the violent family. To work directly with battered women, for example, one must learn that, when the abused woman leaves the abusive situation, her chances of being killed increase dramatically.