Essay Sample on Effects of Domestic Violence in Relationships

Introduction

Domestic violence occurs when one partner tends to wielder power over the other consistently (Gibbons, 2011). The implications of domestic violence are quite detrimental and often devastating to the victims mostly who are children and women. However, men can also be victims of domestic violence when the perpetrator is the woman rendering children too at greater risks because of tumultuous environments in their lives. The longer the abuse on the victims, the more the negative effects of domestic violence. The impact of domestic violence in relationships are quite long-term since it influences social, emotional, physical wellbeing of the victims who are mostly women and sometimes men as well as children.

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The Cycle of Abuse

Domestic violence occurs in different forms namely, rape and sexual abuse, physical abuse, economic deprivations, intimidation, and emotional abuse, consistent threats of violence and expression of might and power. This partner of abusive behavior can intimidate relationships and makes one thrive in gaining control over another over a period of time ("The impact of intimate partner violence", 2016). One partner is normally abused which leads to injury of a victim or even death in fatal circumstances.

The cycle of domestic violence refers to the pattern in which abusive behaviors lead to repeated violence in relationships. An entire cycle may occur in one day or might happen in days, weeks, months or even years of repeated abuse. The cycle is different in every relationship and would vary from environment to another. The cycle has three primary phases as discussed in the next section.

Firstly, an initial abusive event happens which can be physical, emotional or in the form of sexual activity. This phase is characterized by tension building which sometimes arises from common domestic activities and use of the resources. In this stage, verbal abuses are common and mostly the victim would attempt to please the perpetrator through giving in to demands or avoiding unnecessary conversations. Avoiding or submitting to the victim would not solve the problems which lead to the next stage after more tension builds.

After the tensions build to the extent that the victim reaches a point in which they tend to fight back, an acute violent circumstance occurs. Tentatively, it is usually propelled by the perpetrator's emotional state or simply the presence of an external trigger but not necessarily by the victim's behavior. It is usually impulsive and beyond the control of the victim ("The impact of intimate partner violence", 2016). In the final stage, the abuser becomes ashamed of their actions and mostly tend to express their remorse. Some blame the entire abusive incidence on their partners or attempt to minimize their abuses. The final actions in this phase entail ignoring serious matters that can trigger the same process and act as if nothing occurred. If the perpetrator is the man, they tend to express loving and kindness, generosity and assistance. This act of remorse convinces the victim that the abusive incidence would not happen again and strengthens the bond in the relationship and they find a way to stay in the union.

The cycle can recur endlessly with the perpetrators assuming a prescribed role-alike the victim. Eventually, the apologies stage and initial stages become shorter and the abusive phase becomes intensive. Consequently, the victims will be held in a loop of violence and develop post-traumatic stress disorder making them inclined towards violence (Gibbons, 2011). This cycle would become hard to break due to long-term psychological implications it has on both the parties.

Effects in Children

Domestic violence causes negative effects on children which in long-term effects their relationship with the parents and peers. A home that experiences abuses is an unsafe environment for nurturing children. Children gain their learning from what they see, hear and feel in their environment regularly particularly at tender ages ("On children and young people", n.d.). To achieve their proper development and learn comprehensive coping skills, they require to be nurtured in environments devoid of violent caregivers. When they grow up experiencing domestic violence, they tend to develop aggression, deviance and sometimes truant behaviors. They believe that what they see is normal and a way of life and they become a model for how things should be done. If violence is the mode of solving problems in a home, children would utilize their skills in violence they learn to solve matters among their peers.

The children would become depressed and anxious. Sometimes they can be easily frightened and they develop the fear of the perpetrator which cause the parent-child relationship to deteriorate. They also experience withdrawal symptoms especially to their parents because of their lowered sense of self-esteem ("On children and young people", n.d.). Without urgent help, children would play truant and start self-harm through the use of drugs and substance abuse.

Effects on Women in the Relationship

In an event where the husband is the abuser (which is the most common), women suffer a great deal. Violence limits their relationship with their spouses as well as hinder them from achieving their full potential in nurturing a united family. Women mostly stay with their husbands in abusive relationships because of their vulnerability and fear that their spouses would become more violent when they try to leave. Others are bounded to the fear of losing the touch with their children and the uncertainty of making it on their own efforts. Moreover, others believe that it is their faults their relationships are abusive and that they can avert more occurrences with simple changes in their efforts and behavior. On the other hand, many are in denial stage and they believe they cannot expose their abusive unions. It is also a common belief for some that since they are cut off the resources, they would feel pressure due to lack of social support. They become lonely and rely on their own decisions rather than seeking help from agencies, friends or any other safe havens.

Religion also influences women's decision to leave abusive marriages. Some women, especially from Catholic churches and Islamic origin, would stay in abusive religion since they believe in the permanence of marriage (Eden, 2015). They would hesitate to indulge in activities which would salvage them from such situations. When the religious guidelines are misinterpreted the abusive relationships can become worse and cause disintegration of marriages.

Domestic violence causes women to develop anxiety, lack of concentrations and the limited ability to trust others. For them, home is a place where they are confined to live by the rules of the perpetrator. They quickly develop psychological trauma and their ability to function normally under regular circumstances becomes compromised. Psychological trauma varies from one individual to another, but most people encounter extensive moments of emotional distress after severe traumatic abuse. Quite often than not, women would develop a feeling of shame and fear of retaliation when they report the matters to the authorities.

Social Impacts

Domestic violence usually has far-reaching effects that cuts across the fabric of the victims' life. The emotional and social effects can last in one's life after abuses have lessened or even after a separation. An institution (National Center for PSTD) that investigates the psychological influence of trauma has highlighted various aspects which portray the signs of an unhealthy relationship. These signs are inclusive of a partner; who denies their partners social life and might isolate them from family and peers, who has full control of household finances, ideally instills the fears of embarrassment and guilt in their partners, that threatens to destroy the status of their spouses particularly when one has shown an interest to end the relationship, who creates an unbearable surrounding for their spouses by breaking things and making noise ("The Psychological Wounds of Domestic Violence", 2014).

In this regard, these intimidating and controlling behavior can often be evident in abusive relationships and have profound implication on the social lifestyle of the victim and the abusers even if the later leaves the union. If one is completely reliant on their spouse for their financial wellbeing, they would face homelessness when they end their relationships. Matters of homelessness and poverty are precisely linked to abusive efforts of isolating a spouse from social support and other avenues they would acquire domestic violence help. An individual with firm social ties would seek help from their peers and families whenever it is required. Nevertheless, their isolation would limit the growth of social connections with the pertinent individuals (Gibbons, 2011). Consequently, these victims may believe that they are entirely alone in their feuds and these resources are not available for their assistance.

Victims social lifestyle is normally completely affected even when they escape the abusive relationships. This affects their future intimate relationships. Many people especially women, who endured abusive marriages for a long time, usually tend to believe healthy relationships are nonexistent and that they find solace in being alone. As such, they might go into new relationships with a similar expectation of toxicity, intrusive memories, feelings of worthlessness and correspondence challenges.

Conclusion

Summarily, domestic violence affects relationships. The victims of domestic violence are mostly women and children but men are also abused across the globe. The impact of domestic violence on the victims mental and physical wellbeing can lead to anxiety, insomnia, poor communication skills, trauma, and many more adverse health implications. Domestic violence victims should seek urgent help from relevant sources to avert a cycle of violence.

References

Eden, D. (2015). Domestic violence. Retrieved from http://www.foryourmarriage.org/domestic-violence/Gibbons, L. (2011). Dealing with the Effects of Domestic Violence. Emergency Nurse, 19(4), 12.

The impact of domestic abuse on children and young people. Retrieved from https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/what-is-domestic-abuse/impact-on-children-and-young-people/

The impact of intimate partner violence. (2016). Retrieved from https://psychlopaedia.org/family-and-relationships/impact-intimate-partner-violence/

The psychological wounds of domestic violence. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/the-psychological-wounds-of-domestic-violence