• ABOUT ABUSE

     

    Index

    Click below to learn about some basic terminology relating to abuse.


    • Domestic Abuse - Any behavior exhibited in a relationship in which an individual attempts to gain or maintain power over an intimate partner
    • Child Abuse - A pattern of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse or neglect aimed toward a child by a caregiver
    • Elderly Abuse - A pattern of physical, emotional, or financial abuse or neglect aimed toward an elderly individual by a caregiver
    • Help Line - A telephone line that serves the purpose of providing help for specific problems
    • Hotline - A telephone line that serves the purpose of providing immediate help in emergency situations
    • Therapy - A treatment for mental health disorders and difficulties through communication and interaction with licensed medical providers

     

    Why might abuse happen?


    Perpetrators of domestic abuse are often associated with having experienced childhood abuse themselves. This sort of upbringing could cause an individual to believe violence is the best way to handle certain situations. Those who are exposed to violence in their childhood are taught to also employ violence, possibly as a way to gain dominance.

    Other factors that increase the likelihood of domestic violence include drug and alcohol abuse. Also, males who are taught that females are not equally respected are more likely to be perpetrators of domestic abuse.

    Types of Abuse


    Physical Abuse - A pattern of harming or attempting to harm another individual in a domestic setting that includes:

    • Hitting
    • Burning
    • Pinching
    • Grabbing
    • Hair-pulling
    • Biting
    • Denial of medical care or the police
    • Use of objects or weapons to cause
    • harm

    Emotional Abuse AKA Psychological Abuse - Manipulative and non-physical abuse meant to isolate that includes:

    • Threatening harm to self or others
    • Destruction of one’s personal property
    • Constant criticism
    • Verbal degradation of one’s self-worth and abilities
    • Prevention of seeing family members/forcing isolation
    • Exertion of excessive control over one’s daily life

    Sexual Abuse - Behavior that forces another individual into nonconsensual and/or violent sexual acts

    Stalking - A pattern of obsessive behavior including repeated phone calls or mail and the monitoring of an unknowing victim at a home or workplace

     

    How to Recognize Abuse

    Abuse can show itself as signs in a victim, both physically and in terms of their behavior:


    • Fractures
    • Bruises and/or wounds on the skin
      • Injuries are common on the head, neck, and face
      • Sings of resistance include injuries on the arms
      • Clothing may be used to hide injuries
    • An unkept or malnourished appearance
    • Withdrawn, shy, or aggressive behavior

    Abuse causes silence

    If you see something, say something.

    As per the NIH, over 1500 annual deaths in the United States are due to domestic violence. Anyone can be a victim of abuse.




    Reference

    Huecker, M. R., King, K. C., Jordan, G. A., & Smock, W. (2023, April 9). Domestic violence.. StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm

    World Health Organization: WHO. (2022, June 17). Mental healthhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499891/

    United Nations. (n.d.). What is domestic abuse? | United Nationshttps://www.un.org/en/coronavirus/what-is-domestic-abuse

    Office on Violence Against Women. (2023, December 6). Domestic violencehttps://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence