Domestic abuse is widely seen as a prevalent issue of society, however many people do not know what it constitutes and what effects (both short-term and long -term) it can have on its victims. Many news and radio stations over-sensationalize specific stories about domestic abuse rather than looking at the overall effects domestic abuse has on the population of the world. In this essay I will be answering the question: “How does Domestic Abuse affect the psychology of those that have to undergo it?” by first defining it and then describing the short and long term effects on partners and children,
What Is Domestic Abuse? Domestic Abuse is widely considered to be an interaction between a couple that causes physical harm to at least …show more content…
Studies show that most female victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) were “previously victimized by the same offender, including 77% of females ages 18 to 24, 76% of females ages 25 to 34, and 81% of females ages 35 to 49” (“Statistics.” The National Domestic Violence…). Some of the reasons why a victim may choose to stay with the abuser may be because of : fear, low self-esteem, money, children, control, hope for change, pressure from friends and family, and the lack of knowledge about the availability of help. The reason for not leaving is not limited to a single one of these reasons, but rather is a combination of many of them at the same time. One of the most prominent reasons for staying in an abusive relationship is fear of the abuser. There are many times that an abuser may threaten to kill someone close to the victim or even themselves if the victim leaves the abusive relationship. However, instead of causing the victim to take action, in many cases a victim may choose to stay in fear of what the abuser would do if left alone. Another prominent reason for staying in an abusive relationship is for the children in the family. Many victims do not wish to break up the family as it may be hard on the children if they don’t have both parents. Victims are also afraid that the children will be hurt or taken away if the victim is left alone with the