Dear diary, one of blogger from US wrote on her blog about domestic violence. It’s really sad part of humanity, I visited to know more about this cruelty and found this article. Am posting here, it may be useful to you. I appeal all my readers to raise voice and help if anyone in need. Especially old age, women and child.
The term domestic violence is synonymous with family violence which envelopes elder abuse, child abuse, wife abuse and other forms of violence between family members. Violence between spouses is often defined as “Intimate Partner Violence”. IPV is also prevalent between partners who are not actually married.
The abuser and the abused can be in a live-in arrangement. Terms like wife battering, wife beating, husband beating, husband abuse, wife abuse are regularly used in instances of domestic violence. In recent times words like “battering” and “battered” are less accepted because they do not cover other forms of violence which go beyond physical abuse. These other forms of abuse also have the potential create to severe mental and emotional disorders in individuals which can escalate in to acts of suicide and self-damage.
In America, domestic violence is defined as a “pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner”. This definition of domestic violence is considered complete by the Office on violence against women (O.V.W.) in the U.S.
In India, human relationships lead to domestic violence when one adult misuses his power to control another person’s life. Violence is primarily the establishment of fear and control in a relationship through physical and other forms of violence and abuse. The violence normally manifests as physical abuse, mental torture, sexual assault and threats. Violence can be more subtle, like degrading someone constantly, depriving them of money or confining them to the house. Emotional abuse and social ostracism can be as bad as physical abuse in terms of long term effects.
The Children and family court advisory and support service in Britain uses the term domestic violence to refer to a wide range of abusive and violent behavior in its “domestic violence policy”. It defines domestic violence as “patterns of behavior characterized by the misuse of power and control by one person over another who are or have been in an intimate relationship.” This is said to occur in all kinds of relationships ranging from same sex to mixed gender.
Domestic violence has very long term and serious repercussions on the lives of individuals, children, adults, families and communities. Domestic violence can be physical, metal, psychological or emotional. The latter encompasses intimidation, financial abuse, threats, damage to property etc.
Domestic violence manifests on all three levels namely-physical, emotional and mental. Physical violence can be direct like unwanted contact, marital rape and murder. Indirect physical violence can include actions like destroying objects, throwing things around the victimized person or harming pets and abusing dependents. Verbal threats, insults, and attacks also come under the slot of violence. Non verbal abuse can be done through facial expressions, body language, threatening gestures and sometimes by discounting another’s individuality and silent treatment.
Psychological abuse can happen through the control of socio-economic matters and depriving the victim of money and resources। Social ostracism by preventing the abused to interact with friends and relatives is also a form of violence. Domestic abuse can also lead to spiritual violence in many instances by denying the victim the human right of evolution and dignity.
