Domestic Violence

Introduction

Domestic Violence Against Women is a global issue reaching across

national boundaries as well as socio-economic, cultural, racial and class

distinctions. It is a problem without frontiers. Not only is the problem

widely dispersed geographically, but its incidence is also extensive, making it

a typical and accepted behavior. Only recently, within the past twenty-five

years, has the issue been "brought into the open as a field of concern and

study" (Violence Against Women in the Family, page 38).

Domestic violence is not an isolated, individual event but rather a

pattern of repeated behaviors that the abuser uses to gain power and control

over the victim. Unlike stranger-to-stranger violence, in domestic violence

situations the same perpetrator repeatedly assaults the same victim. These

assaults are often in the form of physical injury, but may also be in the form

of sexual assault. However the abuse is not only physical and sexual, but also

psychological. Psychological abuse means intense and repetitive humiliation,

creating isolation, and controlling the actions of the victim through

intimidation or manipulation. Domestic violence tends to become more frequent

and severe over time. Oftentimes the abuser is physically violent sporadically,

but uses other controlling tactics on a daily basis. All tactics have profound

effects on the victim.

Perpetrators of domestic violence can be found in all age, racial,

ethnic, cultural, socio-economic, linguistic, educational, occupational and

religious groups. Domestic violence is found in all types of intimate

relationships whether the individuals are of the same or opposite sex, are

married or dating, or are in a current or past intimate relationship. There are

two essential elements in every domestic violence situation: the victim and

abuser have been intimately involved at some point in time, and the abuser

consciously chooses to use violence and other abusive tactics to gain control

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