Family and domestic violence is a major problem in the United States, impacting an estimated 10 million people each year; domestic violence affects one out of every four women and one out of every nine males. Almost every healthcare professional will examine or treat a patient who has been a victim of domestic or familial violence at some point. Economic, physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse of children, adults, or elderly are all examples of domestic and family violence.
Domestic abuse is a worldwide problem that cuts beyond national borders, as well as socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, and class divides. This problem is not only geographically widespread, but it also occurs frequently, making it a common and recognised practise. Domestic abuse is widespread, deeply established, and has substantial health and well-being consequences for women. It’s morally indefensible to keep it going. Individuals, health-care systems, and society all pay a high price for it. It leads to a decline in psychological and physical health, as well as a reduction in quality of life, productivity, and, in some circumstances, mortality.
What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is defined as one adult in a relationship abusing his or her power to control another. It is the use of violence and other forms of abuse to build dominance and terror in a relationship. Physical assault, psychological abuse, social abuse, financial abuse, and sexual assault are all examples of violence. The aggression might be intermittent, infrequent, or chronic in nature. Stalking, sexual and physical violence, and psychological abuse by a current or former partner are examples of intimate relationship violence. Domestic abuse affects one out of every four women and one out of every nine men in the United States. It is claimed that domestic violence is underreported. The victim, their family, co-workers, and the community are all affected by domestic abuse. It wreaks havoc on one’s mental and physical health, lowers one’s quality of life, and reduces productivity.
Domestic abuse perpetrators come from a wide range of socioeconomic, cultural, and educational backgrounds. Poverty-related stressors, as well as the usage of substances like alcohol and drugs, all contribute to the problem. Domestic and familial violence is difficult to detect, and many occurrences go unnoticed by health care providers or legal authorities. All healthcare professionals, including psychologists, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and physicians, will evaluate and perhaps treat a victim or perpetrator of domestic or family violence due to the prevalence of the problem in our society.
Domestic violence, according to the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act of 2005, is defined as any act, conduct, omission, or action that damages or injures, or has the potential to harm or injure, a woman. Domestic violence can be defined as a single act of omission or conduct; in other words, women do not need to be abused for a lengthy time before seeking legal help. The law also applies to minors. Both men and women are perpetrators and victims of domestic abuse. Women, particularly in our country, are the most common victims. Even in the United States, it has been reported that intimate partner violence accounts for 85 percent of all violent crimes committed by women, compared to only 3% of violent crimes committed by men. As a result, domestic violence in India primarily refers to violence against women.
Domestic violence against women is a long-standing problem. Women have long been seen as weak, defenceless, and easily manipulated. Women have long been thought to be the victims of violence. Although cultural norms, religious traditions, economic and political circumstances may influence the initiation and perpetuation of domestic violence, committing an act of violence is ultimately a personal decision made from a variety of possibilities. Although macro system-level forces (such as cultural and social norms) play an important role in the aetiology of gender-based violence in any country, including India, individual-level variables (such as witnessing violence between one’s parents as a child, having an absent or rejecting father, and being associated with delinquent peers) also play a role in the development of such violence. Differences in physical strength and size contribute to the gender imbalance in domestic violence. Women are also socialised into their gender roles in various societies around the world. Women in patriarchal countries with rigid gender norms are generally ill-equipped to defend themselves if their partners turn violent. However, part of the discrepancy stems from how men’s reliance and fearfulness contribute to a cultural disarming. Husbands who hit their spouses often believe they are exercising a right by keeping the household in order and punishing their wives’ misbehaviour, particularly their failure to keep their appropriate place.
An effective response to violence must be multi-sectoral, addressing the immediate practical needs of women who have been abused, providing long-term follow-up and assistance, and focusing on changing cultural norms, attitudes, and legal provisions that promote and even encourage violence against women, undermining women’s full enjoyment of their human rights and freedoms.
The health sector has a unique ability to address violence against women, particularly through reproductive health services, which almost every woman will use at some point in her life. This potential, however, is far from being realised. Few doctors, nurses, and other health professionals are aware of or trained to recognise violence as a root cause of women’s health issues. The health sector can play a critical role in reducing violence against women by assisting in the early detection of abuse, providing required treatment to victims, and directing women to appropriate care. Women must feel comfortable in health care settings, where they are treated with respect, are not stigmatised, and can receive high-quality, well-informed support. A comprehensive health-care response is required, with a focus on overcoming abused women’s reluctance to seek treatment.
Aishwarya Says:
I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.
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