Domestic Violence Site : Domestic Violence Dangers

Disengaging from domestic violence seems easier said than done, particularly when children are involved. Firstly, no one wants to admit there is a problem. Secondly, a woman may fear losing her home or leaving her property behind. There is also a commonly held misperception that the abuser is somehow omnipresent and will catch the woman trying to flee. Thirdly, many women feel that the fighting is normal or that it is just a phase that will blow over. Most abusers belittle their victims so much that they feel they can never find another mate. All these problems confront the abused, but one can still escape before it's too late.

Johnson and Ferraro (2000) classified domestic violence into five different types. The first type is called "Common Couple Violence," where there are one or two incidents of extreme violence that doesn't follow a pattern of attempted control. These abusers (which are 56% male and 44% female) are usually non-violent outside the house and are least likely to be sexually or emotionally violent. The second type is called "Intimate Terrorism," which is a pattern of control and manipulation that involves emotional abuse. These assailants are more likely to kill their partners and plot revenge following the breakup of a relationship.

The third type of domestic violence is "Violent Resistance," where one partner acts controlling and intimidating, while the other partner reacts in violent self-defense. This kind of violence may be a one-time event or a pattern. "Mutual Violent Control" or mutual combat involves two people using violence to control one another. The last domestic violence type is called "Dysphoric-Borderline Violence," which describes a needy, dependent and emotionally imbalanced person who turns to "pitbull" type violence out of frustration, depression, fear of abandonment and neediness.

Domestic violence most commonly affects women, children and elders. Female victims of crime suffer one or more of the following side effects: anxiety, depression, death, chronic pain, eating disorders, alcohol and drug addiction, emotional numbness, poverty, self-injury, sexual dysfunction, sleep disorders and psychological disorders. In 60-70% of the households where there is spousal violence, the children are also abused. In childhood, these victims have trouble concentrating in school, experience psychosocial disorders, have irrational fears, cannot sleep or eat normally, feel irritable and depressed. As adults, some of these victims become abusers or criminals themselves, while others have trouble forming bonds with others or become substance abusers. Elder violence may result in broken bones, early death, anxiety and fear, or an addiction to medication and alcohol.

You may also call one of the following hotlines: the National Abuse at 1-800-25ABUSE, Friends of Battered Women and Their Children at 1-800-603-HELP, the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), the Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-8966, or the National Youth Crisis number at 1-800-448-4663. By calling these numbers, you can receive services, including crisis intervention, safe separation planning assistance, referrals to counselors, programs or services and police escorts.

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Today's Tip On Domestic Violence

Do you feel trapped by a pattern of victimization? Perhaps you were molested as a child by someone you knew, an event you'd rather forget. Later, in college, you were taken advantage of by your date when you passed out in a drunken stupor. Now, you're in a relationship where your partner calls you names, phones you constantly at work and gets irrationally angry all the time. There are many resources for victims of domestic violence in America. While it may seem like a personal matter, it's moreover a matter of your personal safety. Every year, there are more than one million violent acts against women and 30% of all female murders are committed by lovers or former lovers.