October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), but raising awareness about the incidence of it should never stop.
“About 41% of women and 26% of men experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime and reported a related impact,” the CDC reported.
Traditionally, domestic violence is thought to involve physical, financial, verbal, emotional, or sexual abuse within a personal relationship in a home. However, how domestic violence is defined has expanded.
“Sometimes it’s called intimate partner violence (IPV), which is a language that speaks more to what might happen between people who have to have a close relationship. That might be sexual or not, but it is definitely about forms of control,” said Dr. Karen McLean, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Social Work at Western Connecticut State University.
Monitoring someone’s computer or Internet activity; restricting monetary access, including bank accounts or credit cards; and caregivers withholding or hiding needed medications such as asthma pumps or insulin are more examples of situational attempts to control a person.
Domestic violence and abuse can both involve repeated acts of negative behaviors.
“When people think about abuse, they think about it as more frequent and intense. Domestic violence falls under a very broad umbrella of behaviors that can be subtle, and not so subtle,” Dr. McClean said.
She added, “Mostly when people think of domestic violence, they often think that it’s something that occurs typically between a male and a female, but the range is broad.”
Dr. McClean stated that domestic violence can occur within a family unit, with roommates, colleagues at work, at school, or with anyone who has some type of relationship with someone, not only romantic partners.
“It really focuses on when the perpetrator is trying to somehow control the person who might be the target,” Dr. McLean stated.
The phrase IPV is sometimes used interchangeably with domestic violence.
“I think intimate partner violence speaks more directly to what happens within a household with partners because as we look at partnerships and relationships and how those have evolved, we have people who identify within the same gender that have relationships,” Dr. McLean said, mentioning the need to be more inclusive of the types of partners and family dynamics within a household.
Dr. McLean pointed out that undocumented persons in communities will not report related issues because of fear of deportation. A trans person may fear being stigmatized or not being believed. Male victims also fall into the underreported category of domestic violence.
Seeking help through law enforcement is still a huge barrier, even in some communities of color in which the victim is a woman who is being severely abused.
“She’s still concerned about the possible consequences of the perpetrator because of the familial ties or concern about the perpetrator being killed might supersede her own victimization that she’s experiencing,” Dr. McClean stated.
The stigma of seeking help for domestic violence in communities of color still exists. Belief that “what happens in the house, stays in the house” has not been eradicated.
When it comes to confidential and safer methods of reaching out for assistance, Dr. McClean shared that using 1-800 telephone numbers may offer more anonymity to help prevent the call from being traced. Using the Internet can leave clues because of algorithms. A trusted friend, neighbor, or colleague can also help facilitate communication.
Hotline callers can be referred to domestic violence shelters or safe houses.
“Most times, the addresses of these places are confidential. Then there’s a protocol that might be used so that a victim can get there… because they have to protect the other people who are also receiving services at that agency,” Dr. McClean added.
When someone seeks help as a domestic violence victim, the goal is to empower the person to help them recognize their situation, connect with resources, and develop a strategy to exit the situation.
“While getting someone involved, they have to really assess the safety [when possibly dealing with the perpetrator], because the goal is that that person gets out of that situation alive,” Dr. McClean explained.
Domestic violence victims should establish an emergency plan to safely leave the perpetrator’s presence.
It is critical to note that teenagers are not immune to the issue of domestic violence or intimate partner violence.
“When IPV occurs in adolescence, it is called teen dating violence. About 16 million women and 11 million men who reported experiencing intimate partner violence in their lifetime said that they first experienced it before age 18,” the CDC reported.
Call 1-800-799-SAFE to seek confidential domestic violence help.
Very good article. It was short and to the point. I would have liked more resources listed, shared some real life examples and resolutions.
I am interested in learning more about these issues.