What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence is any behavior by one family member against another, which may endanger that person’s personal security or well being.  It may also occur between individuals in a close or ongoing relationship.

Forms of Domestic Violence

Physical abuse includes:

• Slapping

• Beating

• Burns

• Choking

• Fractures

• Kicking

• Biting

Sexual abuse includes:

• Unwanted Touching

• Showing undesirable pictures (pornography)

• Forcing someone to engage in undesirable sexual acts e.g. anal sex, oral sex

• Attempted and forced sexual acts within or outside marriage

Economic exploitation includes:

• Not sharing or using money as a family

• Prevention of going to work

• Withholding or taking money from wife/husband

Psychological violence includes:

• Public Humiliation

• Constant criticism

• Verbal abuse i.e. use of bad language

• Instilling fear or threats

• Isolation or confinement

Causes of Domestic Violence

• Power imbalances in society or families

• Traditional values and beliefs

• Extra marital affairs of either partner

• Poor/no communication between partners

• Extended family problems

• Unplanned pregnancies

• Usage of family planning methods

• Socio-Economic problems

• Drug Addiction / Alcohol Abuse

The Impact of Domestice Violence

As much as society would like to make the issue of domestic violence a private one, there are serious consequences on the victim, and society as well as the perpetrator.  The following are the consequences.

Individual:

• Attempts of suicides or death

• Low self-esteem

• Violence can affect the potential of a woman to look after her children

• Failure of Productivity at work

• Failure to communicate with relatives, friends and workmates

• The perpetrator may perform badly at work

• They may turn to drugs and alcohol

The Family:

• The family unit breaks up

• Women deprived of their income cannot provide for their families

• Children who grow up witnessing violence may become victims and abusers

The Society:

• Violence deprives the woman of full participation in all aspects of development

• The economic costs do not only include days off from work due to ill health, but also the working time of the Police, Health workers, Judiciary and Social Services

Health:

• There may be serious cases of disability

• Violence on a pregnant woman can potentially damage the baby or risk having a miscarriage

• Takes a toll on women’s mental health and well being.

Myths About Domestic Violence:

• Beating your wife is an act of love

• Domestic violence happens to poor uneducated women

• Only unsuccessful men beat up their wives

• Women who are beaten often provoke assaults and deserve what they get.

• Alcohol causes men to beat their partners.

• Women who are beaten could leave partners easily if they wanted to.

• Men are not victims of abuse.

Some Reasons Why Women Stay:

• Fear of being alone / of the future

• Not stable economically because of unemployment

• Hope that he will change his abusiveness

• For the sake of the children

• Pressure from extended family

• A woman may believe that “she asked for it”.

• Threats to be killed if she leaves

• Fear for her safety and that of her children

• Nowhere to go

LINKS:

• Safe Horizon

• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

• Help and Shelter Guyana