Domestic Violence

Content
What is domestic violence?
Causes of domestic violence.
Forms of abuse.
Effects of domestic violence.
Influences and factors.
How can domestic violence be stopped?

What is domestic violence?

Pattern of behavior
which involves
violence or other abuse
by one person in a
domestic context
against another, such
as in marriage or
cohabitation.

 Can take a number of forms

including physical,
emotional, verbal, economic
and sexual abuse, which can
range from subtle, coercive
forms to marital rape and to
violent physical abuse that
results in disfigurement or
death.

Causes
1. Cycle of violence:
witnessing abuse in
childhood, in other
words they were
participants in a chain
of intergenerational
cycles of domestic
violence.

Causes
2. Biological and
psychological: include
genetics and brain
dysfunction. Personality
traits include sudden
bursts of anger, poor
impulse control, and
poor self-esteem.

Forms of abuse
Physical: involves contact
intended to cause pain,
injury, or other physical
suffering or bodily harm. It
includes hitting, slapping,
punching, choking, pushing,
throwing objects, burning
and other types of contact
that result in physical injury
to the victim.

Forms of abuse
Sexual: any sexual act,
attempt to obtain a sexual
act, unwanted sexual
comments or advances, or
acts to traffic, or otherwise
directed, against a persons
sexuality using coercion, by
any person regardless of
their relationship to the
victim.

Forms of abuse
Emotional: includes verbal
abuse and is defined as any
behavior that threatens,
intimidates, undermines the
victims self-worth or selfesteem, or controls the
victims freedom. Stalking
is a common form of
psychological intimidation.

Forms of abuse
Verbal: form of
emotionally abusive
behavior involving the
use of language, which
can involve threats,
name-calling, blaming,
ridicule, disrespect, and
criticism.

Forms of abuse
Economic: controlling the other
partner's access to economic
resources. Economic abuse may
involve preventing a spouse from
resource acquisition, limiting the
amount of resources to use by the
victim, or by exploiting economic
resources of the victim.

Effects
On children: increased
aggressiveness, anxiety,
and changes in how they
socialise with friends,
family, and authorities.
Depression, emotional
insecurity, and mental
health disorders can follow
due to traumatic
experiences.

Effects
Physical: Bruises, broken bones, head injuries, lacerations,
and internal bleeding are some of the acute effects of a
domestic violence incident that require medical attention and
hospitalization.