Domestic violence
Domestic violence is
violence or other
abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a
marriage or
cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''
intimate partner violence'', which is committed by one of the people in an
intimate relationship against the other person, and can take place in relationships or between former spouses or partners. In its broadest sense, domestic violence also involves violence against children, parents, or the elderly. It can assume multiple forms, including
physical,
verbal,
emotional,
economic,
religious,
reproductive, financial abuse, or
sexual abuse, or combinations of these. It can range from subtle, coercive forms to
marital rape and other violent physical abuse, such as choking, beating,
female genital mutilation, and
acid throwing that may result in
disfigurement or death, and includes the use of technology to harass, control, monitor, stalk or hack. Domestic murder includes
stoning,
bride burning,
honor killing, and
dowry death, which sometimes involves non-cohabitating family members. In 2015, the United Kingdom's Home Office widened the definition of domestic violence to include coercive control.
Worldwide, the victims of domestic violence are overwhelmingly women, and women tend to experience more severe forms of violence. The
World Health Organization (WHO) estimates one in three of all women are subject to domestic violence at some point in their life. In some countries, domestic violence may be seen as justified or legally permitted, particularly in cases of actual or suspected
infidelity on the part of the woman. Research has established that there exists a direct and significant
correlation between a country's level of
gender inequality and rates of domestic violence, where countries with less gender equality experience higher rates of domestic violence. Domestic violence is among the most underreported crimes worldwide for both men and women.
Domestic violence often occurs when the abuser believes that they are entitled to it, or that it is acceptable, justified, or unlikely to be reported. It may produce an
intergenerational cycle of violence in children and other family members, who may feel that such violence is acceptable or condoned. Many people do not recognize themselves as abusers or victims, because they may consider their experiences as family conflicts that had gotten out of control. Awareness, perception, definition and documentation of domestic violence differs widely from country to country. Additionally, domestic violence often happens in the context of
forced or
child marriages.
In abusive relationships, there may be a
cycle of abuse during which tensions rise and an act of violence is committed, followed by a period of reconciliation and calm. The victims may be trapped in domestically violent situations through
isolation,
power and control,
traumatic bonding to the abuser, cultural acceptance, lack of financial resources,
fear, and
shame, or to protect children. As a result of abuse, victims may experience physical disabilities, dysregulated aggression, chronic health problems, mental illness, limited finances, and a poor ability to create healthy relationships. Victims may experience severe psychological disorders, such as
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Children who live in a household with violence often show psychological problems from an early age, such as avoidance, hypervigilance to threats and dysregulated aggression, which may contribute to vicarious traumatization.
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