Intimate Partner Violence Essay

Domestic violence refers to acts of violence that occur within intimate relationships and take place in domestic settings. This includes physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse. Family violence is a broader term that refers to violence between family members, as well as violence between intimate partners. Intimate partner violence results in serious social, emotional and economic costs to victims, their families and the broader community (Laing, Bobic 2002). It is the most common form of abuse among women. Domestic violence is also commonly referred to as relationship violence, intimate partner violence and gender-based violence. Findings from victimization surveys suggest that women are more likely than men to become victims of

It is most commonly committed by men, but it also includes violence against men. Intimate partner violence occurs in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships and includes married, de facto and separated adolescents and adults (Laing, Bobic 2002). One issue of intimate partner violence is that there are always limitations to researching sensitive social problems such as this one. It is not limited to physical violence and involves a range of different types of abuse. Definitions of domestic violence commonly include reference to the presence of abuse between intimate partners, including both current and former partners, different forms of abuse including physical and sexual violence, threats and intimidation, psychological and emotional abuse, and social and economic deprivation, the unequal distribution of power whereby one person has control over the other and uses domestic violence to dominate and maintain that level of control, infrequent and relatively minor incidents through to more frequent and severe incidents resulting in serious physical harm or death, and the impact of domestic violence in terms of causing fear as well as physical and psychological damage and interfering with the victim's quality of life (Laing, Bobic

People typically become “unable” to leave a violent relationship. Research suggests that more than four in five women who experience domestic violence do not contact a specialized support agency, but are more likely to contact family and friends, Young women who are in school or have access to peer networks, as well as those who have links with some sort of supportive adult family members or friends also experience lower rates of violence (Anthony, Chadwick, 2009). There is also evidence that men with strong social networks are less likely to be perpetrators of domestic violence (Anthony, Chadwick, 2009). Somewhat informal support networks such as these are important and do indeed offer assistance, but they are not always able to entirely meet the needs of victims or offenders. There is a lack of available services, the cost and/or limited availability of transport, limited awareness of available services, a lack of culturally appropriate services, a perception that services will lack sympathy or even be judgmental, feelings of shame or embarrassment, fear that the victim will not be believed, fear of the perpetrator finding out they are telling someone, and a fear that the services may simply not help them (Marcus, Braaf