Violence Against Women

Violence against women, also known as interpersonal violence, is a crime of power and control. It occurs in the context of many different types of relationships and takes many forms. It can happen within marriages, between siblings, roommates, dating couples and those in lesbian and gay relationships. Elderly members of a family can also be the objects of abuse by relatives.
In the majority of intimate partner violence incidents, men are the primary abusers. According to findings from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1.5 million women and more than 800,000 men are raped or physically assaulted by an intimate partner every year. And the U.S. Department of Justice reported in 2000 that 25.5 percent of women and 7.9 percent of men reported being raped, physically assaulted and/or stalked by an intimate partner in their lifetimes.
According to the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention, almost 5.3 million intimate partner victimizations of women age 18 and over take place each year, and 3.2 million occur among men. These attacks result in approximately two million injuries and 1,300 deaths each year. In 2001, intimate-partner violence accounted for 20 percent of all nonfatal violent crime experienced by women. In addition, one study showed that almost all (93 percent) of the women who were murdered by their intimate partner had been treated for at least one injury at the hands of that same person. Generally, victims of repeated physical violence experience more serious consequences than victims of isolated incidents.
The abuser may use a number of tactics other than physical violence in order to maintain power and control over his or her victim. There are three categories of abuse:
Psychological abuse: Sometimes called mental violence, this type of abuse may include constant verbal abuse, harassment, stalking, excessive possessiveness, isolating the woman from friends and family, depriving her of physical and economic resources and destroying her personal property. The abuser may destroy objects or harm pets in front of the victim, and it may escalate to physical abuse. Psychological abuse can lead to psychological consequences for the victim, including depression, low self esteem, fear of intimacy, inability to trust men, anxiety, antisocial behavior and, in some cases, attempted suicide.
Physical abuse: Physical abuse may begin with grabbing, pinching or shoving and often escalates into more serious and more frequent attacks including kicking, punching, biting, throwing objects, holding down, driving recklessly, blocking exists and sexual assault. Physical attacks and aggressive behavior, although they may not be life threatening at first, are not trivial and should not be excused or ignored. This abuse becomes life threatening when the attacks include choking, breaking bones or the use of weapons.
Sexual abuse: Any time a woman is forced to take part in unwanted sexual activity, it is considered sexual violence. Physical abuse may be accompanied by, or culminate in, sexual violence, but there is a clear and distinct line between physical domestic violence and sexual abuse. Although some intimate partner abuse culminates in sexual abuse, the majority does not. And although perpetrators of sexual abuse sometimes physically harm their victims, it is unusual for sexual abuse perpetrators to be chronic intimate partner violence abusers.
Certain groups of women are at higher risk for becoming victims of abuse and violence. According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, these include women who:
are single, separated or divorced (or planning a separation or divorce)
are between the ages of 17 and 28, especially under age 24
abuse alcohol or other drugs or whose partners do
have partners who are excessively jealous or possessive
have a history of prior physical abuse
have partners who are verbally abusive
have a history of childhood abuse
are unemployed or experiencing economic stress
have experienced prior injury from the same partner
have a low level of academic achievement
lack social networks and tend to be socially isolated
There are also various relationship risk factors for violence and abuse, including the following:
A male belief in strict traditional gender codes, such as the woman should stay at home and be submissive
Couples with educational, income or job status disparities
Male or female dominance in the relationship
Dating Violence
Another form of violence against women is dating violence (sometimes called "date rape"). In this form of violence, one person purposely causes physical or psychological harm to another person they are dating. Dating violence can manifest itself as physical abuse, sexual assault and/or psychological/emotional abuse.
A victim of dating violence might unknowingly be given alcohol or slipped "date rape" drugs like Rohypnol in her drink. Alcohol and date rape drugs can make you unable to resist assault. You experience a type of amnesia so you're uncertain about what happened. This means you're left to cope with not only the trauma of the sexual assault, but the uncertainty surrounding the specifics of the crime. Unfortunately, most cases of dating violence are not reported to the police.
Like other forms of violence against women, dating violence is a serious crime that occurs in both casual and serious relationships, as well as in both heterosexual and same-sex relationships.
The physical and psychological health consequences of intimate partner and dating violence are very serious. Affected women experience more reported chronic health problems than unaffected women, including:
Pain, gastrointestinal disorders and irritable bowel syndrome
Higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases, central nervous system disorders and cardiac problems, although no history of cardiac disease.
Gynecological disorders and unwanted pregnancies.
Headaches and back pain
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, including emotional detachment, flashbacks and sleep disturbances
In 2000, the U.S. Department of Justice reported on the extent, nature and consequences of intimate partner violence in the U.S. According to its findings, approximately 1.8 million women and one million men reported being raped and/or physically assaulted by an intimate partner in the past 12 months. These statistics do not take into account the occurrences of psychological abuse, which is harder to identify than physical or sexual abuse.
Additionally, stalking by intimates is more prevalent than previously thought. According to CDC estimates, more than one million women and 371,000 men are stalked by an intimate partner every year.
An abuser can be anyone involved in a relationship with the victim: husbands, boyfriends, dating partners, same-sex partners and others. Many abusers were involved in or exposed to abusive relationships during their childhood. However, exposure to abuse is not a prerequisite for abusive behavior later in life.
The physical and psychological health consequences of intimate partner violence are very serious. Affected women have 60 percent more reported chronic health problems, including:
If you know someone who is involved in an abusive relationship, it may be difficult for you to understand why she doesn't just leave. The answer as to why women stay in violent relationships is complex.
Part of the reason is that domestic violence often occurs as a pattern of behavior known as the "cycle of violence." The cycle involves three phases:
Phase 1: Tension builds. The abuser may threaten or push and shove the victim. The victim often reacts by working harder to keep the abuser calm. During this phase, the victim may believe that she can prevent a violent incident, but she is walking on eggshells. Her efforts typically fail.
Phase 2: Violence occurs. The abuser may hit, beat, sexually abuse or use weapons against his partner. Women's lives are most often in danger during phase two.
Phase 3: The "Honeymoon" Phase. The abuser apologizes to the victim and promises he won't harm her again. He may also blame his actions on her behavior. Often the partner accepts the abuser's apologies and forgives his behavior. The tension-building phase begins again, renewing the "cycle of violence."
If you or someone you know is trapped in this cycle of violence, talk to someone at the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Dial toll-free: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TDD 1-800-787-3224 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in English, Spanish and other languages. If you think you are being stalked, call the Stalking Hotline at the National Center for Victims of Crime at 1-800-FYI-CALL (394-2255).
There are also many external barriers to women leaving a violent relationship. Reasons why women stay include:
Lack of resources. Many women have children to support, yet they are not employed outside the home. Often the car, house, bank accounts and credit cards are in the abuser's name.
Institutional responses. Clergy and secular counsel are often trained to save the marriage at all costs, despite the fact that abuse is occurring. Police officers often treat women not as victims of violent crime, but rather as participants in a domestic dispute. However, in most jurisdictions police can file charges against the perpetrator if women are afraid to. Prosecutors are sometimes reluctant to take legal action against abusers and when they do, the courts rarely levy heavy sentences. Restraining orders often do little to prevent an abuser from returning and repeating the assault. However, many women do not believe they will get support if they leave.
Traditional ideology. MMany women do not believe divorce is an alternative to an abusive marriage. When children are involved, they may believe that an abusive father is better than no father at all. Also, women often feel responsible for the failure of their marriage. Because abused women may become isolated from family and friends by a jealous abuser, they may feel they have no one to turn to. Many times women will rationalize their partner's abusive behavior, blaming it on drugs, alcohol, stress or other factors. During non-violent "honeymoon" phases within the cycle of violence, the abuser may convince his victim that he is truly sorry and will not hurt her again. She may believe that her abuser is "basically a good person."
Losing children. This is an enormous fear for women with children. They believe that in leaving they will lose their children.
Reaching out to a woman who is in an abusive relationship can be difficult. Here are some things you can say to her:
I'm afraid for your safety
I'm afraid for the safety of your children
It will only get worse
You deserve better than this
Let's figure out a safety plan for you
Reflect and recall the pattern of events (to stop the cycle of violence)