Domestic Violence: Effects on Mental Health, Signs and the Types

Domestic violence issues are incredibly sensitive and sometimes horrifying in nature. Since women and girls are mostly the targets of domestic violence, these issues can affect their mental wellbeing. Individuals who have been hurt and abused by the people they trusted, let into their lives, and were supposed to protect them, are three times more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or another severe related condition. Since it is challenging to say the exact effects of domestic violence on a person's mental health, other factors might need to be considered. For instance, being abused as a child or suffering from sexual abuse can directly be associated with mental illnesses because they can scar the victims for life. Domestic violence is a serious public health concern. Still, it is a topic that a lot of people don't like to talk about. It can be challenging to speak to a friend or a family member and ask them if everything is alright. But if the people closest to the victim don't realize soon and tackle the situation, then violence or abuse might continue. The reason is that the victims usually are made to feel powerless by their abusers. On the other hand, some people try to use domestic violence as a means to get what they want by making false allegations. To the innocents being accused and facing prison time, the actual victims of the crime, or people who know might think their loved one can be going through this, try to use this information and take action against injustice.

Making False Allegations of Domestic Abuse

While the topic is quite sensitive, there is a need to address the other possibility that is becoming common nowadays. Many people are making false allegations of domestic violence for their personal gains, usually during divorce or child custody cases. Domestic violence is not a joke. It can have very real consequences when a person accuses another of this crime. Not to mention, the person being wrongfully accused of committing such heinous acts might also go through emotional trauma. If they don't have the right Orange County domestic violence lawyer to defend their innocence in court, then they can get serious prison time. That is why it's vital to expose the people making false allegations, so that the community can focus on the victims who actually do suffer from abuse.

Recognizing Signs of Domestic Violence and Understanding the Types

Emotional Abuse Emotional abuse includes exploiting another person's insecurities, character, and vulnerabilities. This is generally followed by degradation, intimidation, manipulating, and brainwashing. Emotional abuse is a very serious concern that can cause PTSD for the victim. This can include: ● Making the victim believe that they are mentally unstable or incompetent ● Intentionally cheating on the victim and causing them emotional distress ● Not permitting them to practice their religious beliefs, or isolating them from their religious community ● Acting possessive, jealous, or throwing around the accusation of infidelity ● Insulting, criticizing, calling names, and humiliating to undermine the victim's self-confidence. This usually happens in public spaces to make it really hurt ● Attacking the victim's sense of self-worth ● Ignoring, disregarding, or neglecting the victim's needs or requests Physical Abuse Physical abuse is generally described as aggressive behavior, holding the other person's needs, indirect physical harmful acts, or threats of physical abuse. It typically includes the following: ● Hitting, punching, shoving, choking, slapping, pulling, pushing, kicking, scratching, shooting, stabbing, pinching, beating, drowning, burning, shaking, or pulling hair ● Hitting with objects, harming with weapons, or threatening with either one ● Forcing the use of drugs or consumption of alcohol, among other things. ● Not allowing to get medical attention or contacting the police ● Withholding physical needs that include meals, sleeping, transportation, or money ● Refusing to help when sick or injured ● Locking up inside or outside the home ● Forcibly restraining, locking in a room, or blocking off exits Financial Abuse ● Not allowing the partner to access their own bank accounts ● Monitoring the partner's expenditure ● Stealing money ● Refusing to share everyday expenses like bills ● Setting an allowance even though the partner earns their own money Sexual Abuse Sexually abusing a person refers to forcing the other to commit sexual acts. This is a severe matter. Also, just because a person has consented to sexual activity in the past doesn't indicate current consent. While it generally includes physical sexual behavior, it can also be verbal. Here are some examples. ● Demanding sexual acts to be performed when the other partner doesn't want to or cant ● Guilting, coercing, or manipulating them to have sex. This can also include making the victim commit sexual acts with someone else or having a sexual experience that they don't want to. It can also include involuntary prostitution ● Having affairs with other people and then taunting the victim with that information ● Withholding sex to assert control ● Making fun of the victim or laughing at their sexuality or body. It can also include making offensive statements, insulting, or calling names ● Forcing the other to watch pornography ● Committing acts of physical abuse during consensual or non-consensual sexual activities. It is included in consensual if the victim was not aware that the physically abusive actions will take place ● Making contact with the victim without their consent, either physically or with an object Verbal Abuse Verbal abuse is a type of domestic violence that has become incredibly common in today's society. Many people even think that screaming, arguing, or fighting is healthy for a relationship, which further shows how common verbal abuse is. It generally includes using any kind of abusive language to embarrass, denigrate, or threaten the victim. That can usually include: ● Yelling, screaming, terrorizing, refusing to communicate, or rampaging ● Telling the victim horrible things, such as they are not desirable or they are not attractive ● Threatening to hurt the victim, their children, property, reputation, or pets. ● Calling insulting or dirty names Psychological Abuse ● Threatening to cause harm to the partner, their loved ones, pets, possessions, or children. ● Stealing or damaging belongings ● Monitoring every move and controlling how much time is spent with others ● Controlling their sense of fashion and accusing that they want to attract attention to themselves ● Saying, "You get what you deserve" or "I treat you better than you deserve." Controlling Controlling is among the most common form of domestic violence that happens in a house. It is a clear way to gain or maintain dominance over a partner. Controlling is a form of domestic violence that is often subtle and almost always insidious. Here are some common examples: ● Checking the mileage on the vehicle to estimate where they have been ● Not allowing them to have freedom of choice when it comes to hairstyles of clothing ● Calling or visiting them out of the blue to check what they are dong ● Invading privacy by not allowing the other to have their personal time and space. ● Forcing dependency on them by making them believe they can't survive on their own. ● Using the victim parent's children to control them by making the kids spy, threatening to hurt or sexually abuse the child, or kidnapping the kid. Isolating Isolation is directly related to controlling and many other types of abuse. That's is why isolation abuse is generally a combination of many abusive behaviors. It is meant to keep the victim from seeing who they want to see, saying how they think or feel, doing what they want to do, and meeting goals. The abuser might also try to isolate the victim from getting the help they need to leave the relationship or take legal action. There are many cases where isolation starts with the abuser saying things like, "You would spend more time with me than your family and friends if you really loved me." From there, it can turn into an extremely toxic and abusive situation where the victim isn't allowed to meet anyone else. Digital Abuse ● Tracking activities or locations using social media ● Insulting or threatening over messages, social media, or emails ● Going through call logs, texts, and media, among other things ● Demanding or sending sexually explicit media over the phone Reproductive Abuse ● Refusing to use birth control medications ● Refusing to use condoms or safe sex methods ● Forcing pregnancy ● Forcing abortion ● Sabotaging birth control efforts Stalking Stalking has quite an extensive definition that can differ from state to state. But generally, it is an intentional act that a person engages in to cause fear of their own wellbeing or that of a loved one in the target. It can also be a fear of physical injury or death. Some common examples of stalking can include: ● Spying by hiding and surveilling the victim at home, work, or anywhere else ● Following on a vehicle or on footrn ● Sending unwanted letters, messages, or packages ● Contacting work or home even after clearly telling them not to ● Vandalizing property ● Breaking into the victim's house or vehicle ● Destroying any type of property in an attempt to cause fear or intimidation ● Violating a restraining order against them filed by the victim