Domestic violence can happen to anyone, abuse can happen to anyone but most of the time these problems are overlooked by the society. Any form of intimidation, physical/sexual assault, or abusive behavior can be termed as Domestic Violence. It exists everywhere, in all types of society regardless of status, age, gender, religion, or nationality and the effects of this can be traumatic and devastating. When we talk of domestic violence it is not always about being battered or physically assaulted, emotional abuse can also be destructive. Emotional abuse involves name-calling, yelling, blaming, isolation, and controlling behavior.

Warning signs of being abused are many: The victim might try to please the partner always, report what they are always doing, talk about the partner’s jealousy and possessiveness, dressing to hide bruises or scars, frequently missing work and other social functions, or have limited access to credit card and money. All abusers are manipulative and controlling and they know how to convince their partner how they are doing things out of love. The victim in turn will depressed, isolated, battered, and looking out for help and wants to get out.
It’s very important to reach out to the victim instead of waiting for them to speak or come asking for help. They need to be told that no one needs to be put up with abuse. All relationships are different but the tactics used by the abusers are always similar. Victims of domestic violence experience a wide range of emotions. Though they feel isolated, helpless, and depressed they still love the abuser and want only the abuse to end and not the relationship. They worry even more if they have kids with the abuser and fear if they would be able to sustain if they leave.
The only way to curb this issue is to have consistent and firm penalties for domestic violence. Changes should be brought in how the family court should handle these cases. It’s important to encourage women to be economically independent. It is important to have a Domestic Violence helpline to make sure victims can reach out for help. It’s also very important to promote promotion of non-violent and respectful behavior through individual behavior and recognizing and teaching peace at home.

K. Lee