Cause and Effect of Domestic Violence
Three to four million women in the United States are beaten in their homes each year by their husbands, ex-husbands, or male lovers. ("Women and Violence," Hearings before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, August 29 and December 11, 1990, Senate Hearing 101-939, pt. 1, p. 12.) The identified root causes of domestic violence are power and control, growing up in a cycle of violence and abuse, and distorted concept of manhood. Domestic violence may start when one partner in the relationship feels the need to control and dominate. He feels this need to control her because of his low-esteem, jealously or not knowing how to show affection. He may feel inferior to his partner if she’s better than them, has more education, a better job, or any other reason he feels she’s doing better than him. With domestic violence, it has many effects, not only on the partners, but on the children, other family members, and society in general.
Some of the long-term effects of domestic violence are anxiety, chronic depression, chronic pain, panic attacks, sleep disorders, suicide attempts. Women of domestic violence are called battered; they suffer from physical and mental problems. Most women who are abused feel it is their fault. They believe they are to blame for the abuse, that they caused it, and that they can somehow stop it. They often experience anxiety, tension, low energy, insomnia, change in appetite and physical aches and pains such as headaches. These symptoms are not necessarily caused by physical injury.
Often, women are abused feel ashamed of what’s happened. Shame often prevents them confiding in others and keeping their details of abuse away or not wanting to say anything to legal authorities and medical personnel. Women who are abused frequently experience difficulty in expressing anger related to their abuse. Some may turn