"Domestic violence is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation."
This subfield focuses on the prevalence and impact of violence and abuse within families, including intimate partner violence, child abuse, and elder abuse.
Types of family violence: This includes physical, emotional, sexual, financial, and psychological abuse experienced by victims and can provide an understanding of the different forms of abuse.
Risk factors: The factors that could increase the chances of experiencing family violence or abuse, such as unhealthy family dynamics, substance abuse, financial instability, or mental illness.
Prevention strategies: The measures taken to prevent family violence through education, awareness campaigns, and supportive resources.
Trauma symptoms: The psychological, emotional, and physical effects of family violence and abuse on the survivors, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and self-harm.
Effects on children: The impact of family violence and abuse on children, who are often the silent witnesses of such violence, can lead to lifelong emotional and psychological scars.
Legal aspects: The laws and regulations against family violence and abuse, including restraining orders, mandatory reporting, child custody, and divorce.
Intervention and support services: The resources available for victims of family violence, including counseling, shelters, and hotlines.
Gender and cultural considerations: The impact of gender roles and cultural norms on family violence and abuse and how they could affect interventions and prevention efforts.
Societal response to family violence: The attitude of society towards family violence and abuse and how stigmas and stereotypes could prevent survivors from speaking out and seeking help.
Forms of advocacy: The ways in which advocacy can be used to support the efforts of those working to prevent family violence, such as raising awareness, lobbying for legislation, and funding research.
Physical Abuse: Any intentional use of force that leads to bodily harm, injury, or trauma.
Emotional Abuse: When one person deliberately frightens, intimidates, or humiliates another person.
Sexual Abuse: Any type of sexual activity without the consent or knowledge of one of the involved parties; it may include rape, molestation, harassment, and exploitation.
Verbal Abuse: Any type of spoken or written criticism aimed to demean or belittle another person.
Financial Abuse: When one person controls or restricts the financial resources of another person, leading to financial hardship.
Neglect: When someone fails to provide the necessities of life such as food, clothing, shelter, medical and dental care, and education.
"It can assume multiple forms, including physical, verbal, emotional, economic, religious, reproductive, or sexual abuse."
"It involves violence against children, parents, or the elderly."
"Worldwide, the victims of domestic violence are overwhelmingly women, and women tend to experience more severe forms of violence."
"The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 1 in 3 of all women are subject to domestic violence at some point in their life."
"Research has established that there exists a direct and significant correlation between a country's level of gender inequality and rates of domestic violence."
"Domestic violence is among the most underreported crimes worldwide for both men and women."
"In abusive relationships, there may be a cycle of abuse during which tensions rise and an act of violence is committed, followed by a period of reconciliation and calm."
"Many people do not recognize themselves as abusers or victims, because they may consider their experiences as family conflicts that had gotten out of control."
"As a result of abuse, victims may experience physical disabilities, dysregulated aggression, chronic health problems, mental illness, limited finances, and a poor ability to create healthy relationships."
"Children who live in a household with violence often show psychological problems from an early age, such as avoidance, hypervigilance to threats and dysregulated aggression."
"Victims may be trapped in domestically violent situations through isolation, power and control, traumatic bonding to the abuser, cultural acceptance, lack of financial resources, fear, and shame, or to protect children."
"[...] includes the use of technology to harass, control, monitor, stalk or hack."
"Domestic murder includes stoning, bride burning, honor killing, and dowry death, which sometimes involves non-cohabitating family members."
"It can range from subtle, coercive forms to marital rape and other violent physical abuse, such as choking, beating, female genital mutilation, and acid throwing that may result in disfigurement or death."
"In 2015, the United Kingdom's Home Office widened the definition of domestic violence to include coercive control."
"Domestic violence often happens in the context of forced or child marriages."
"In some countries, domestic violence may be seen as justified or legally permitted, particularly in cases of actual or suspected infidelity on the part of the woman."
"Victims may experience severe psychological disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)."
"It may produce an intergenerational cycle of violence in children and other family members, who may feel that such violence is acceptable or condoned."