Spousal abuse is often called domestic violence or intimate partner violence, according to the National Institutes of Health. It encompasses violence that occurs between partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage or cohabitation. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) define domestic violence as acts of violence or abuse against an intimate partner. These acts can include physical abuse, threats, acts of sexual abuse or sexual assault, and emotionally abusive behavior that damages a partner's self-worth.
Definition
Spousal abuse, or domestic violence, is abuse or violent action that occurs between two individuals in a close relationship, according to the CDC. Physical abuse includes acts of violence in which one partner physically hurts the other by kicking, hitting or using other methods of physical force. Sexual abuse occurs when a partner is forced to have sexual contact without his or her consent. Emotional abuse includes acts such as controlling finances or outside relationships with friends and family, making verbal threats, or routinely making comments that damage a partner's sense of autonomy and self-worth.
Significance
Spousal abuse or intimate partner violence beings as emotional abuse when one partner controls or criticizes another, according to the CDC. This can escalate into increasingly violent behavior that happens when the abuser feels a loss of control or increased frustration. The CDC notes that there are approximately 4.8 million acts of intimate partner abuse against women in the United Sates each year, while men are victims of about 2.8 million acts of domestic violence each year.
Risk Factors
The CDC and the NIH both report that alcohol and substance abuse are risk factors for domestic violence. Individuals who have witnessed domestic violence as children, or who were abused themselves, are also at higher risk of becoming abusive in an intimate relationship. Factors such as employment or economic stress can increase an individual's risk for committing domestic violence.
Prevention/Solution
The CDC promotes the use of education and early intervention to prevent domestic violence. Programs that promote healthy relationships and dating skills should be put in place by schools and communities to educate young people. In addition, community education programs should help people identify domestic violence, and should provide access to support programs, hotlines and shelters. The CDC also notes that male role models play a critical role in modeling anti-violent, healthy relationship behavior.
Safety Plans
The American Bar Association(ABA) has published a document that outlines how an abused person can create an effective safety plan. Plans include protective strategies in the home during an emergency situation, as well as measures victims can take when traveling outside of the house and at their places of employment. Measures include informing friends, employers and security personnel about any threats or violence. The ABA stresses the importance of restraining orders as a method of protection against abuse. A judge can order an abuser to stay away from a victim and his or her family members. The court can also order an abuser into mandatory treatment for domestic violence.
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