1. What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is a serious issue that affects individuals and families globally. It is defined as a pattern of behavior in which one partner in a relationship uses physical, sexual, emotional, or financial abuse including controlling the victim’s access to money, limiting their employment opportunities, and running up debt in their name. This behavior can have devastating effects on the victim, including physical injury, emotional trauma, and even death.
2. Power and Control
One of the key dynamics of domestic violence is the power imbalance between the abuser and the victim. The abuser uses various tactics to maintain control over the victim, including threats, intimidation, manipulation, and isolation. They may also use physical violence to assert their dominance.
Another important dynamic is the cycle of violence, which is a pattern of behavior that repeats itself and escalates over time. This cycle typically includes three phases:
- Tension-building phase – In the tension-building phase, the abuser may become increasingly controlling and aggressive.
- Explosive phase – The explosive phase is when the abuser uses physical or emotional abuse to assert their power.
- Honeymoon phase – The honeymoon phase is when the abuser may apologize and promise to change their behavior.
This cycle can repeat itself multiple times, making it difficult for the victim to leave the relationship.
Another dynamic is that it often goes unreported, partly due to the shame and fear felt by victims, but also because of lack of resources or support. Many victims may not have access to resources or support systems, or may not know how to seek help.
3. Victims and Abusers
It’s important to note that domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of their gender, age, race, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status or cultural background. It can happen in any type of relationship, including marriage, dating, and same-sex partnerships.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), domestic violence affects millions of people in the United States each year. The CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) provides data on the prevalence of domestic violence in the U.S. Some key statistics from the NISVS include:
- Nearly 1 in 4 (23.5%) women and 1 in 7 (13.8%) men aged 18 and older in the U.S. have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime.
- An estimated 1 in 3 (29.3%) women and 1 in 4 (24.3%) men aged 18 and older in the U.S. have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
- Nearly half of all women and men in the U.S. (45.4% and 44.9%, respectively) have experienced some form of psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
- In terms of perpetrators, the majority of female victims of intimate partner violence were victimized by a male partner, while the majority of male victims of intimate partner violence were victimized by a female partner.
4. Domestic Violence Trends
The National Institute for Health indicates Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) trends emerging in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic are rising globally with reports ranging from a 20% to 35% increase since 2020. Reporting for national trends have been slow to emerge, though regional trends are ranging from a 22% to 27% increase of IPV since 2020.
5. Solutions
Domestic violence is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach to address. This includes educating the public about the dynamics of domestic violence, providing victim support resources, providing education and prevention programs for potential abusers, and holding actual abusers accountable for their actions.
The American Family Center is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, free from government alignment or funding. Our work is made possible through the generosity of individuals, businesses, and foundations who share our commitment to stronger, safer communities.
References:
- American Psychological Association. (2020). Understanding the Impact of Domestic Violence. apa.org/topics/domestic-violence
- Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2017). National Crime Victimization Survey. www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=dcdetail&iid=245
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Understanding Intimate Partner Violence. https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/index.html
- National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. (2018). Domestic Violence Dynamics. ncadv.org/learn-more/domestic-violence-dynamics
- National Domestic Violence Hotline. (2021). Domestic Violence. thehotline.org/resources/domestic-violence/
- National Network to End Domestic Violence. (2020). Domestic Violence Statistics. nnedv.org/resources/stats/
- American Family Center, Inc. (2022) Prevention through Awareness & Education, Choices > Interactive. americanfamilycenter.org/choices→-interactive
- National Institute of Health (NIH), Alarming trends in US domestic violence during the COVID 19 pandemic, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7195322/
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