The Problem of Domestic Violence

 Posted on May 26, 2014 in Domestic Violence

Domestic violence includes acts of violence that occur between current and former romantic partners. Many different types of acts may be considered domestic violence, as a wide range of actions may cause physical or psychological harm to the victim. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women in the United States, with the statistic that a woman is beaten every 15 seconds. While its direct effects on the victim are often far too obvious, it affects all family members, especially where children are involved.

The Extent of the Problem

Many incidents of domestic violence are never reported, which makes particularly accurate information hard to come by. Still, many aspects of the problem are known. Domestic violence is something that can affect anyone, from any social, economic, ethnic, cultural, or age group. It does not discriminate based on type or nature of the relationship.

About 25 percent of women in the United States will be the victim of some form of domestic violence at one point in their lives. Women are more likely to be the victim of a violent crime at the hand of a sexual partner than a stranger. Anywhere from two to four million women are victims of domestic violence each year in the United States.

Warning Signs

Some of the warning signs of an abusive relationship include:

• Physical assault;
• Threatening words or behavior involving the victim partner or their family;
• Damage to property or sentimental items;
• Preventing contact with family members or friends, or preventing the attendance of extracurricular or leisure activities;
• Controlling and isolating behavior;
• Forcing intimacy;
• Jealousy and questioning faithfulness;
• Placing blame on the victim partner for violent outbursts or negative occurrences out of the victim partner’s control;
• Regularly insulting the partner; or
• Being fearful or feeling unsafe around the aggressive partner.

In addition, outside parties may suspect abuse in a family member or friend’s relationship if they see the following signs:

• Repeated accidents or injuries;
• Injuries that are not consistent with an accident or that do not match the explanation given by the victim;
• Injuries on multiple parts of the body;
• Wounds in various stages of healing;
• Showing signs of depression;
• Abusing alcohol or other drugs; or
• Attempting suicide.

Illinois Law

According to the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 and later Illinois Supreme Court rulings, law enforcement must act to protect the victims of domestic abuse. This means police officers are required to protect a victim of domestic violence when a family or household member commits any act of abuse.

There are also laws in place to protect those who report suspected abuse and cooperate with investigations into the same. Anonymous reporting is allowed, and the identity of a reporter is only released with his or her written and express permission.

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