Definition Essay on Domestic Violence

Introduction

Domestic violence is a description that encompasses the use of intimidation, threats, isolation, sexual or physical, economic and emotional abuse in the attempt to gain control over another person in most cases a spouse or partner in various types of relationships. The majority of domestic violence victims are women who are usually assaulted by their male partners while minorities of the cases are men who are assaulted by women. In such cases, the men are faced with further isolation due to their fear of negative social attitudes and stigmatization which further worsens the situation (Foshee et al., 2015). The purpose of this essay is to describe what domestic violence is and explore ways in which the practice can be avoided and dealt with.

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Before finding a way to avoid and deal with domestic violence, it is important first to accept its existence in some relationships. Denial is the most significant contributing factor to increasing cases of domestic violence. Most people undermine the threat of domestic violence and fail to recognize the warning sign which may include a history of intimidation, possessiveness, and extremely jealous behavior towards a spouse. All these are psychological warnings of the potential danger of domestic violence. It is important to recognize these danger signs and deal with them appropriately.

An important factor in dealing with domestic violence is to trust your instincts. Intuition is the best weapon in preventing domestic violence. A person should respect their intuition in regards to the potentially violent behavior of a spouse and avoid talking themselves out or normalizing violent behavior that they may have witnessed. It is important to avoid questioning personal observations as human brains are hardwired to detect signs of danger that tell us that something has the potential to turn ugly or violent. If a person feels in danger of being a victim of domestic violence, then they most likely are.

Another way to prevent domestic violence is to avoid legitimizing the violence. Any form of violence in a relationship is never a justified way of handling strong emotions or disagreements. A little push can rapidly turn into a weapon or fist being used aggressively against a spouse. Moreover, it is important to note that once violence has occurred once or twice, it is very likely that it will happen again and potentially get worse in time. Whenever there is no accountability, violence tends to escalate.

Speaking out is another effective way of dealing with and preventing domestic violence. If someone is being subjected to domestic violence, it is important to speak out to prevent the situation from getting worse. Although many relatives and friends are in most cases reluctant to intervene out of respect for personal boundaries of individuals in a relationship, people who care about a person will not remain silent if they witness acts of violence against that person (Pearlman et al., 2016). Speaking out helps to break the cycle of domestic violence by providing the victim with an effective support system to help them deal with a violent spouse.

When the domestic violence gets out of hand, it is always advisable to get help. Victims of domestic violence should contact a domestic violence helpline or a local group or even law enforcement agencies if necessary. Such organizations provide a safe place for the victim to be accommodated while they find their footing in regards to getting out of violent relationships. In general, domestic violence is a cruel vice that should be prevented by all means.

References

Foshee, V. A., Benefield, T., Dixon, K. S., Chang, L. Y., Senkomago, V., Ennett, S. T., ... & Bowling, J. M. (2015). The effects of Moms and Teens for Safe Dates: a dating abuse prevention program for adolescents exposed to domestic violence. Journal of youth and adolescence, 44(5), 995-1010

Pearlman, D. N., Zierler, S., Gjelsvik, A., & Verhoek-Oftedahl, W. (2016). Neighborhood environment, racial position, and risk of police-reported domestic violence: a contextual analysis. Public health reports.