Issues 296 Domestic Violence - page 9

ISSUES : Domestic Violence Chapter 1: Domestic violence 3
children and young people are
present or nearby, and this violence
has serious, negative consequences
on their immediate and lifelong health
and well-being.
Studies show that these children
experience serious traumatic effects
and high levels of depression
and anxiety and low self-esteem;
exhibit behavioural problems and
developmental delay. Domestic
violence and child abuse and neglect
are inter-connected. At its worst,
domestic violence and/or child
abuse is associated with mortality in
Types of domestic abuse
There are many kinds of
domestic abuse. Some of
them are outlined here. Please
be aware of what domestic abuse is
and be sure you could recognise it in
your partner’s behaviour, your own
behaviour or the behaviour of people
you know.
Physical abuse includes:
Ö Ö Hitting you
Ö Ö Biting you
Ö Ö Strangling you
Ö Ö Kicking you.
Sexual abuse:
Ö Ö Forcing you to have sex
Ö Ö Touching you
Ö Ö Making you do things you don’t
want to
Ö Ö Not allowing you to take
contraception
Ö Ö Forcing you to look at or watch
graphic materials.
Emotional or psychological
abuse:
Ö Ö Constantly checking up on you by
phone or text
Ö Ö Calling you names
Ö Ö Putting you down
Ö Ö Humiliating you
Ö Ö Making you feel guilty or bad
about yourself
Ö Ö Threatening to take your children
away
Ö Ö Using your children to relay
messages.
Financial abuse:
Ö Ö Taking your money
Ö Ö Taking your benefits
Ö Ö Monitoring what you spend.
Social abuse:
Ö Ö Stopping you from seeing your
friends or family
Ö Ö Stopping you from contacting
your friends or family
Ö Ö Checking your phone or text
messages.
Forced marriage:
Ö Ö One or both parties not wishing to
be married
Ö Ö Distinct from arranged marriage,
where both parties have to
agree to the arrangement of their
marriage.
Honour-based violence:
Ö Ö Extreme punishments or
harassment for breaking a strict
‘moral code’
Ö Ö Fear of the above
Ö Ö Punishment or harassment for
supporting a victim of ‘honour’
based violence.
Female genital mutilation
(sometimes mistakenly called female
circumcision.)
May be seen by:
Ö Ö Family belongs to a community
children under five years, and infants
in their first year of life are particularly
vulnerable.
Internationally, domestic violence is
a serious criminal, human rights and
public safety problem with serious
consequences for families and
society, but it is only relatively recently
that the issue has been recognised as
something not kept private, to remain
between people in their own homes.
There is no doubt that this violence
constitutes a significant public health
issue and children growing up with
violence can only be detrimental to
society as a whole. The figures above
show it’s clear that we need new ways
to tackle what is an endemic problem.
19 January 2015
Ö Ö The above information is reprinted
with kind permission from The
Conversation. Please visit www.
theconversation.com for further
information.
© 2010–2016, The
Conversation Trust (UK)
in which female genital mutilation
is practised making preparations
for the child to take a holiday,
arranging vaccinations or
planning absence from school
Ö Ö Prolonged absence from school
with noticeable behaviour change
on return, or
Ö Ö Long periods away from classes
or other normal activities, possibly
with bladder or menstrual
problems.
Socially isolating abuse:
Ö Ö Not letting you go out or go out on
your own
Ö Ö Stopping you from seeing friends
or family
Ö Ö Stopping you from working
Ö Ö Stopping you from having enough
money to go out
Ö Ö Stopping you from learning
English.
Ö Ö The above information is
reprinted with kind permission
from the London Borough of
Barking & Dagenham. Please
visit www.lbbd.gov.uk for
further information.
© London Borough of Barking and
Dagenham Council 2016