Educating Youth about Domestic Violence

Maria Shirshova-Creative conceptualist, Tbilisi, Georgia

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or spousal abuse) occurs when a family member, partner or ex-partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate another. Domestic violence often refers to violence between spouses, or spousal abuse but can also include cohabitants and non-married intimate partners. SOURCE: myenglishpages.com

CONVERSATION QUESTIONS 1 (SOURCE: esldiscussions.com)

CREATIVE ADS (SOURCE: abduzeedo.com)

In this video, a woman takes a photo of herself every day for a year long… At the end, the woman is holding a paper that reads: “Help me, I don’t know if I’ll make it ’till tomorrow.”

SOURCE: themindunleashed.org

The ads, which will appear in subways and bus stops, encourage women in abusive relationships to seek help before situation becomes violent.
(SOURCE: nydailynews.com)

ARTICLE SOURCE: ovw.usdoj.gov We define domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.

Physical Abuse: Hitting, slapping, shoving, grabbing, pinching, biting, hair pulling, etc are types of physical abuse. This type of abuse also includes denying a partner medical care or forcing alcohol and/or drug use upon him or her.

Sexual Abuse: Coercing or attempting to coerce any sexual contact or behavior without consent. Sexual abuse includes, but is certainly not limited to, marital rape, attacks on sexual parts of the body, forcing sex after physical violence has occurred, or treating one in a sexually demeaning manner.

Emotional Abuse: Undermining an individual’s sense of self-worth and/or self-esteem is abusive. This may include, but is not limited to constant criticism, diminishing one’s abilities, name-calling, or damaging one’s relationship with his or her children.

Economic Abuse: Is defined as making or attempting to make an individual financially dependent by maintaining total control over financial resources, withholding one’s access to money, or forbidding one’s attendance at school or employment.

Psychological Abuse: Elements of psychological abuse include – but are not limited to – causing fear by intimidation; threatening physical harm to self, partner, children, or partner’s family or friends; destruction of pets and property; and forcing isolation from family, friends, or school and/or work. Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels. Domestic violence occurs in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships and can happen to intimate partners who are married, living together, or dating. Domestic violence not only affects those who are abused, but also has a substantial effect on family members, friends, co-workers, other witnesses, and the community at large. Children, who grow up witnessing domestic violence, are among those seriously affected by this crime. Frequent exposure to violence in the home not only predisposes children to numerous social and physical problems, but also teaches them that violence is a normal way of life – therefore, increasing their risk of becoming society’s next generation of victims and abusers. Sources: National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Center for Victims of Crime, and WomensLaw.org.

READ ARTICLE 1:The Truth about Domestic Violence and Abusive Relationships by Darlene Lancer, JD, MFT (SOURCE: mentalhelp.net)

READ ARTICLE 2 : Domestic Violence and Abuse (SOURCE: helpquide.org)

The diagram above illustrates that domestic violence goes through a cycle of abuse, “regret,” and building tension leading back to more abuse. There are well-established stages in this cycle. When you care for someone or need their support, it is very hard to break this cycle, especially when the abuse is followed by promises of reform, expressions of regret, and especially kind and thoughtful behaviors. This “honeymoon” ends in rising tension, leading to frank abuse. Domestic violence is a cycle that may never end until you can find ways to put an end to it and become a survivor, no longer a victim. Others can help you end the abuse, but you have to say, “no more.”