Domestic Violence In America Essay

The issue of domestic violence in America extends throughout the country and influences many aspects of life including mental health and education. Most individuals understand that domestic violence is a horrid act and should be treated with the most concern and decency. However, after researching the sensitive topic, many people do not understand the true scope that domestic violence covers. Domestic violence is generally considered violent or aggressive behavior within the home, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse, partner or child. That analysis hardly does justice to the victims or perpetrators because the abuse extends far more than just a physical aspect. Melissa Doak, researcher and Ph.D. in U.S. Women's History at the

Abuse does not occur without signs of abuse. Many people know the basic physical signs, such as: bruising, black eyes, or even broken bones. However, as Charlotte Kinstlinger-Bruhn says in her ‘Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Violence”, that abuse comes in many forms including, seclusion, fear, and sensitivity to touch in addition to the strictly physical symptoms (88). This is very important in determining if an individual is in a home of abuse. Additional to just knowing those who are abused, is how to help those who are being hurt both physically and mentally. Police are often the first to respond to a domestic dispute, whether abusive or otherwise. Police according to Melissa Doak says in her insert article here that many women are fearful in talking to the police because they do not want to lose their kids or end up targeted further by their spouse. Women, according to the same article, would rather have the police: list statistics here. These stats shows that women and sufferers of abuse would rather have people that they feel they can relate. These two things are very important into identifying, preventing, and eventually treating victims in the process of domestic