General Articles

Domestic Violence

Lately, we have found many news about domestic violence (domestic violence) in various media. Even sometimes, we find domestic violence in our environment. However, what can we do? Are we already know about the scope of domestic violence itself so as to avoid or minimize the occurrence? If you are experiencing domestic violence, you can contact a lawyer nearby or you can consult with Alameda County domestic violence attorney. Before that you can read this article, the following article will discuss about the terms and the cycle of domestic violence. Additionally, this article will discuss about the character of the victims and perpetrators of domestic violence so that we can prevent or avoid the occurrence of domestic violence around us.

Domestic violence is any act against someone, especially women, misery or suffering physical, sexual, psychological and or negligence of household including threat to commit acts, coercion, or deprivation of liberty unlawfully within the domestic sphere.

Everyone is prohibited from engaging in domestic violence against people in the scope of the household, by the way:

  • physical abuse
  • psychological violence
  • sexual violence
  • neglect of household

Cycle of violence, domestic violence, Personal relationships are often accompanied by a cycle of violence, with a repetitive pattern. This causes the cycle of violence victims continue to develop expectations and maintain a sense of love or pity, making it difficult to get out of the trap of violence.

Rolling cycle of violence is generally as follows:

  • Starting with interested individuals and develop relationships
  • Individuals and couples begin to get to know each other, “appeared authentic” with the characteristics and demands of each, emerging conflicts and tensions.
  • There was an explosion in the form of violence
  • Tensions subsided. Victims shocked and interpret what happened. Perpetrators being “good” and probably apologize.
  • Victims feel “guilty” (if not forgive), victims blame themselves because they felt or thought to be a trigger incident, the victim developed the hope of better relations.
  • The quiet period can not last. Back emerging conflicts and tensions, followed by an explosion of violence again, and so on.
  • The victim is “trapped”, feel confused, scared, guilty, helpless, hoping the perpetrators promise to refrain from violence again, and so on.
  • If there is no special interventions (internal, external) the cycle of violence can continue to rotate with the roll out faster and more intense violence.
  • Highly destructive and psychologically harmful impact (and probably physical).

The psychological impact on the victims

Domestic violence can cause serious impact on the victim and the closest (Eg children). Physical impacts may be more visible. For example, injuries, pain, disability, pregnancy, miscarriage, death. Whatever the form of violence, there is always a psychological impact of domestic violence. Psychological impact can be divided into “immediate effect” after the incident, as well as “medium or long-term impact” is more settled. Immediate impact, such as fear and danger, confusion, loss of sense of helplessness, the inability to think, concentration, nightmares, excessive vigilance. Might also occur from eating disorders and sleep.

Characteristics of victims of domestic violence

A woman who is educated and economically independent, still can become a person who does not easily take decisions in the face of domestic violence. This can occur because:

  1. Individual characteristics (passive, get discouraged and unable to make decisions).
  2. The past events lasting and hinder assertive (trauma of the past that has not been resolved and influence the ways of thinking, feeling and acting this time).
  3. The family comes from a family of conventional and emphasizes the integrity of the household as a good thing (rigid gender ideology).

General characteristics offender

Perpetrators either unconscious or do not have rigid gender roles and as if to justify them to commit violence against women or children who were under his protection.

However, there is also a different psychological characteristics, for example:

  • There are basically indeed live in a culture of violence, see violence as a way of resolving conflicts and get the desired thing. For example, people with personality “thugs”.
  • There may seem fine in front of people who do not know intimately. He was impressed courteous and willing to cooperate. But in particular the low It holds about women and women demanded to obey, serve, followed desirable. He socialized to develop a large domination over women. As the head of the family, it also requires children to obey.
  • Close to the above characteristics, actors who grew up in an environment of discipline nuanced violence in childhood will take the same pattern for the family as an adult.