How Does Domestic Violence Affect Society

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Anyone can be a victim. Domestic violence is a major problem in society today, and anyone can be affected by it. Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, regardless of your skin color, your intelligence level, your religion, or your sex, or anything else for that matter. Many people don’t truly understand what domestic violence or abuse is. According to the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Abuse; domestic violence is behavior in any type of relationship used to gain and/or maintain power or control over their partner, and abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats used to influence another person. Domestic violence is a major issue in society today and heavily impacts the victim’s life. Domestic violence affects the victim …show more content…

Abuse and violence can influence the victims thinking patterns and the way they interact, even if they are no longer in an abusive relationship. Abuse can cause many issues, these issues are often related to the mind “short circuiting” when a person is faced with possibly dangerous situation it decides on one of two options fight or flight. When the decision is made the person’s mind and body is rushed full of energy to complete their task. This tremendous amount of energy can shock or dissociate a person while the violence is occurring, however the “short circuit” can cause many long term issues. Repeating this adrenaline rush can be very problematic because the body is not made to constantly be in fear and trying to save itself. This being said, mental illnesses are very common in domestic violence survivors. The most common mental illness in domestic abuse victims is depression. “Depression remains the most common symptom exhibited by survivors of domestic violence. According to a study done in 2000, 60 percent of battered women reported feeling sad or depressed for extended periods of time.” (Joyful Heart Foundation). Depression is more