Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) refers to the acts of violence conducted by a partner in an intimate relationship with their other partner. These intimate relationships include current or former spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends of the same or different gender. These acts of violence can include murder, rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Intimate partner violence can also include verbal, economic, or emotional abuse. It is important to note that most of the victims of IPV are women, as most of the reported IPV in America was against women. Reports like these are disturbing to read and primarily result in physical and emotional scars for the victims and the other affected family members.
The type of abuse selected for the paper is intimate partner violence (IPV) which is the intentional use of force on your partner to cause harm or injury, or it can be as severe as to even lead to the partner’s death. There are different physical means which are used to assault one’s partner physically, and these include the use of a weapon to harm the partner; pushing, shoving, scratching, hitting, hair-pulling, slapping, and punching are some examples of physical violence. However, according to the CDC, if a partner force or suggests other people do so on their partner, it is also considered physical violence (Huecker et al., 2022).
Intimate partner violence (IPV) may occur in any community and among people of any social, religious, or cultural background. Women bear the lion’s share of the responsibility for ending intimate partner violence around the globe. Even though women may be violent in relations with men, often out of a need for self-defense, and even though violence can happen in same-sex unions, most violent acts committed against women are carried out by male intimate partners or former partners. On the other hand, males have a much higher risk of experiencing violent actions committed by random people or associates than by someone directly associated with them (NCADV (2022). The primary form of IPV includes sexual violence, such as forced sexual intercourse; actions of physical violence, such as beating and slapping; emotional abuse, such as belittling and insults; and controlling behaviors, such as isolation and restriction of access to various resources.
The mMosted women do not take the role of passive victims; instead, they often take action to improve their child’s welfare. Heise and colleagues (1999) contend that what may be regarded as a woman’s delay may be the consequence of a determined evaluation regarding how to safeguard herself and her children from potential danger. Despite these obstacles, many battered women finally leave their relationships, but it frequently takes more than one try and several years of violence. Some of the reasons why these women eventually leave abusive relationships permanently include increasing the intensity of the spouse’s abuse, the knowledge that the partner would not reform, and the understanding that the violence affects the woman’s children.
Direct channels, such as injuries, and indirect avenues, such as chronic health issues that come from continuous stress, are both ways in which intimate partner violence may damage women’s physical and emotional health—because of this, having a history of being a victim of violence is a significant predictor for various illnesses and ailments. According to Yakubovich et al. (2018), the effects of abuse may linger for a significant time after the physical violence has ceased. Abuse has a more critical consequence on a woman’s mental and physical well-being in proportion to the severity of the violence and the combined effect of various forms of abuse and several incidents of abuse throughout a woman’s lifetime.
The perpetrators of Intimate partner violence are mainly men, and women are always the victims. IPV has affected around 10 million people yearly in the U.S., and 20 people are abused physically every minute (NCADV, 2022). Therefore, IPV may include current or former partners as well. Another important aspect is to understand its roots and background and how a person takes such a step to harm their partner. A child who sees his parents abusing each other physically is more likely to abuse his partner once he grows up. So, a toxic family background and environment can lead to an increased number of intimate partner violence abusers.
Often people with psychological issues, especially those with bipolar or dissociative identity disorder, are more involved in intimate partner violence. Such people show a drastic change in their behaviors and moods, and a minor issue at home can trigger violent behavior. Another reason that significantly increases intimate partner violence is substance abuse. People are unaware of their impulsive actions and cannot even control them once they are addicted to drugs, so this is another factor due to which men generally assault their partners (Yakubovich et al., 2018). These reasons include jealousy, possessiveness, an inferiority complex concerning the partner, anger management issues, and low self-esteem. Irrespective of one’s psychological problems, intimate partner violence cannot be justified.
The other types of victims and perpetrators of IPV include individuals with some flexibility. Initially, they will not raise their voices against their partners, but eventually, after realizing that it is, in fact, wrong to remain silent in such a situation, they would be inclined to file cases. Another type of victim is the confident one and would not stay back, even after a single episode of intimate partner violence (Yakubovich et al., 2018). They will immediately take action against their partner and will not show any compromise on that. Even though they are impulsive in making decisions, these are in their own best interests. No one, irrespective of gender, should ever hold back from standing up for oneself.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) in the United States is demeaning, perplexing, and scary. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is among the first pieces of legislation in the United States. It was among the laws that contributed to the legitimacy of abuse and violence in intimate partner relationships passed in 1994. The acknowledgment that IPV is a criminal violation and that federal law may aid an overloaded country along with local criminal justice structures was a significant factor that contributed to the act’s impact on the problem of intimate partner abuse. The state government accepted the law. It aided in legitimizing IPV by assuring that there is a conclusion to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking as well as dating violence in the United States (Modi, Palmer & Armstrong, 2014). In addition to facilitating collaboration between government agencies and victim advocates, VAWA led to development of new victim care and preventative programs and additional penalties for various offenses against intimate partner violence.
The other law that helps address the issue of IPV is The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). The FVPSA contributes by allocating government cash to help victims of intimate partner abuse, along with their dependent children, in securing safe housing and other assistance of a similar kind. The legislation also includes initiatives to combat violence between intimate partners and enhances how social providers may work together to serve communities throughout the United States better. Formula grants, funding that assists in eliminating family violence, are one of the services offered by FVPSA that contributes to combating IPV. Another service includes a toll-free and confidential hotline that the state operates 24 hours a day (Fernandes-Alcantara, 2014).
Moreover, Lautenberg Amendment also aids in domestic, intimate relationship violence offender gun restriction and contributes to the credibility of the intimate partner violence movement. The Gun Control Act is an early piece of federal legislation enacted in the United States in 1996 (Díez et al., 2017). It adds to the validity of domestic and intimate partner violence by prohibiting the possession of ammunition and guns by persons convicted of domestic violence or who are detained for intimate relationship abuse in every state in the United States.
Some of the resources that are available for IPV victims include domestic violence. These helplines provide a complete step-by-step guide on how victims can escape the shackles of abuse. They are one call away from getting help to leave their terrible state. Victims can contact Domestic Violence Hotline and National Coalition Against Domestic Violence at the national level. Furthermore, contacting the police can be a big step in their lives. Victims can also contact Police Department Domestic Violence Unit at the local level to seek help (United States Department of Justice, 2022).
They can file a legal complaint against their abuser. They can get a government-appointed attorney to represent them in court, as most victims cannot pay for a lawyer by themselves. Along with physical damage, the abuse also takes a severe toll on their mental health. So, to deal with the effects of abuse on their mental health, the victims are referred to therapists. These psychologists help them work through their mental issues, such as post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression, and anxiety. They counsel the abused to move on emotionally and mentally from their past and encourage them to live a new and better life away from their abuser. Usually, the family and friends of the victims also step up to support them in every way. In case a victim has no other home or cannot stay at any family member’s house, victims can also seek refuge in shelter homes provided by the Government of America for those whose own homes become hell for them.
In conclusion, the acts of violence by the partners are termed as intimate partner violence, and different types of violence are often subjected to by their intimate partner. Victims of intimate partner violence suffer psychically as well as psychologically. Several laws protect the victims, but it is essential to know the rights a victim can have. Lastly, victims should be supported by their families and friends and should be able to seek medical help. This would help them cope with their horrible past experiences.
References
ATrain Education. (2022). Types of Intimate Partner Violence. https://www.atrainceu.com/content/3-types-intimate-partner-violence#:~:text=The%20NVAWS%20found%20that%20more,%2C%20and%20welts%2C%20were%20minor.
Díez, C., Kurland, R. P., Rothman, E. F., Bair-Merritt, M., Fleegler, E., Xuan, Z., … & Siegel, M. (2017). State intimate partner violence–related firearm laws and intimate partner homicide rates in the United States, 1991 to 2015. Annals of internal medicine, 167(8), 536-543
Fernandes-Alcantara, A. L. (2014, February). Family violence prevention and services act (FVPSA): Background and funding. Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service.
Huecker, M. R., King, K. C., Jordan, G. A., & Smock, W. (2022). Domestic Violence. NIH. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499891/
Modi, M. N., Palmer, S., & Armstrong, A. (2014). The role of Violence Against Women Act in addressing intimate partner violence: A public health issue. Journal of Women’s Health, 23(3), 253–259.
NCADV. (2022). Statistics. https://ncadv.org/STATISTICS#:~:text=NATIONAL%20STATISTICS&text=On%20average%2C%20nearly%2020%20people,10%20million%20women%20and%20men
United States Department of Justice. (2022). Federal Domestic Violence Laws. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/victim-witness-program/federal-domestic-violence-laws
Yakubovich, A. R., Stöckl, H., Murray, J., Melendez-Torres, G. J., Steinert, J. I., Glavin, C. E., & Humphreys, D. K. (2018). Risk and protective factors for intimate partner violence against women: Systematic review and meta-analyses of prospective–longitudinal studies. American journal of public health, 108(7), 1-11.
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