What are the Possible Causes and Signs of Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a destructive issue that is very common and affects many Americans today. Abuse can occur in heterosexual couples and in same-sex partnerships, and occurs within all age ranges, ethnic backgrounds, and economic levels. It is disastrous for the batterer and the battered, and can be fatal. One in four women are abused by their partners, and nearly more than 10 million people are abused every year. Domestic violence is consistent violent or aggressive behavior towards another person that takes place within the home, affecting couples, siblings, parents, or any other people that live within the home.

The cause of domestic violence may be unknown, or the person may feel the need to control the other person because they feel superior. Many sources state that the abuser may feel the need to control the other person due to a lack of self-esteem, serious jealousy issues, difficulties in regulating anger, psychological disorders, or other strong emotions. People could have mental illnesses that cause them to feel inferior to the other person such as bipolar disorder, depression, psychopathy, narcissism, PTSD, or undiagnosed personality disorders. Children who grew up in violent homes often develop PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) due to the trauma. They learn to treat women with little respect and handle their anger in violent ways, which makes domestic abuse more common and repetitive. This behavior is often passed down over generations. Alcohol and drugs can also contribute to violent behavior. A person who is drunk or high is much less likely to control their violent impulses towards their partner/victim.

People may act like this and exhibit this behavior because it is meant to scare, physically harm, or control another person. However, some religions believe that abuse is just and acceptable. Followers of these religions believe that they have the right to control their partners and that women are not equal to men. People may also learn such behavior from others in their community or through other cultural influences as they grow up. Violence in a home does not only affect the people living in it, but also those around them. Studies show that harmful behavior is caused by a combination of situational and individual factors. This means, abusers may have inherited these actions from family members, and some abusers will even admit to witnessing abuse in their community or home growing up. The abuse could manifest in the form of sexual, emotional, or physical abuse. However, no cause of the violence justifies or makes it in any way acceptable.

Domestic violence often escalates from verbal threats, arguing, and verbal fights to violence. There are ways to ascertain whether you or someone else may be suffering from domestic violence at home. Abuse could begin with behaviors such as possessiveness, name-calling, threats, or distrust. The abuser may apologize profusely after fights and claim it was out of love and not intended to hurt the person. Some abusive tendencies include accusing the victim of cheating, telling the victim they can’t do anything right, showing jealousy over the victim’s family and friends, embarrassing or shaming the victim with put-downs, controlling their every expenditure, forcing or pressuring the victim to take drugs or alcohol, forcing sex, threatening to hurt, kill, or take away their children, or intimidating the other person with weapons such as guns and knives. Dominance, humiliation, isolation, threats, intimidation, denial, and blame are common signs of domestic violence as well. Domestic violence isn’t always physical. Emotional or psychological abuse can be just as bad and even more severe than physical violence. Unfair blame put on the victim is very common in violent relationships. The violence doesn’t necessarily end when the victim escapes the abuser or tries to seek help.

Overall, domestic violence is a problem that needs greater emphasis and there are ways that we can try to prevent this from recurring. As stated in the text above, there are many causes of domestic violence, some being preventable and some that one can do nothing about prior to their occurrence. However, actions such as identifying mental illnesses and reporting suspicious behavior when observed, could save someone’s life. Domestic violence is any behavior that aims to gain power and control over another person in a relationship.

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