Domestic violence: dramatic abuses that take place in the family
Domestic violence can take different forms, from "verbal assault to rape, from beatings to stalking, up to" murder: all these manifestations have the ultimate goal of exercising a cruel power against the victim who, in the vast majority of cases, is a woman. Let's see what are the many faces of domestic violence and let's never forget our well-being. To improve self-esteem, there are some simple exercises in this video.
What is domestic violence and what are the different forms of abuse
According to the WHO, domestic violence includes all those phenomena of physical, psychological and sexual abuse that cause coercion and submission in order to exercise control over a person belonging to one's own family. The situation in Italy is dramatic: in a relationship of " Istat (2006) conducted on a sample of about 25,000 women with a "age between 16 and 70, it emerged that 6 million victims of abuse in our country, of which 2 have suffered violence by the partner or ex partner. The reality is no better in the rest of the world: in the US, for example, in 2015 alone, 1,600 women were killed by men with whom they had a relationship.
Unfortunately, the figures could be much higher as 90% of the abused do not report the fact. According to another report, the Eures-Ansa 2005 report, one in four homicides takes place at home and 70% of the victims are a woman killed by a man. According to the definition of domestic violence, however, it is not only the acts of prevarication against the female gender: very often children are also abused, or are forced to bear psychological wounds throughout their lives. Much less frequent, however, are the cases in which men are subjected to acts of intimidation, which, for the most part, are configured as crimes of stalking.
See also
According to the definition given by the Istanbul Convention, domestic violence can take different forms:
- Physical abuse. The victim suffers more or less violent physical attacks that can eventually culminate in death. This category includes slaps, punches, scratches, throwing objects, but also attacks with acid and those with weapons. This type of violence against women also includes abortion and forced sterilization. . The Italian Criminal Code condemns the injuries to the detriment of another person, however often the victims do not report their partners.
- Sexual abuse. Generally the woman is forced to undergo non-consenting sexual intercourse but sexual violence can also take the path of sexual harassment and unwelcome advances.
- Psychological abuse. Also called "emotional violence," this type of abuse can be very subtle and subtle. They range from threats, to criticism, up to verbal aggression. The victim is systematically humiliated and kept in a situation of psychological subjection that has very serious repercussions on his psyche. Particularly widespread, even in Italy, is the crime of stalking, which is part of a context of psychological maltreatment: in this case the person who suffers it finds a serious impairment of his freedom, with dramatic consequences on mental well-being.
- Economic abuse. Those who fall under economic abuse are prevented from achieving financial autonomy; the victim cannot work to become independent and is thus forced to remain within the family nucleus undergoing other violence.
Gender-based violence is against women
Since the beginning of 2021, many women have already died due to femicide; a real social emergency that arises in situations of mistreatment and abuse and then leads to violent death by a man. During the health crisis and the imposed isolation since Covid 19, cases of domestic violence have increased; this has done nothing but worsen an already dramatic situation, so much so that the United Nations has coined the term "shadow pandemic", to indicate the many women who do not report domestic violence and silently endure all kinds of oppression, from threats to beating.
The social services that deal with reporting situations of domestic danger have recorded a sharp increase in cases of violence during the months of the pandemic: isolation and forced coexistence have, unfortunately, exacerbated extreme situations which then became explosive. "the female gender is the one most affected by mistreatment, but there is no lack of situations of family hardship (economic, social, ...) in which even minor children are abused.
Domestic violence is a real violation of human rights and, although the phenomenon is still very present, the attention paid to it is getting higher and higher. To sensitize public opinion on this issue, since 1981 Europe has has chosen to set up a day in remembrance of women victims of violence: it is celebrated on 25 November and is intended as a symbolic gesture in order not to let your guard down.
The data registering cases of abuse against women is on the rise: anti-violence services are inundated with requests for help to escape the harassment of a partner or other men belonging to the family background. The reason for such behavior is very complex to analyze, and certainly Covid has not helped to stop this escalation of physical and psychological violence; for this reason it is important that the phenomenon has our full attention.
The psychological consequences of domestic violence
Erin G. Clifton, a psychiatrist at the University of Michigan, has written a detailed document describing the consequences, both physical and psychological, in women who are victims of domestic violence. heavy repercussions on the mental level ranging from "isolation, loss of work, from the collapse of self-esteem to disorders such as panic attacks and generalized anxiety.
The aggressor generally carries out behaviors aimed at debasing, humiliating, threatening and controlling the victim, reducing him to a state of very dangerous psychological subjection. Indeed, one of the most subtle forms of harassment is the "gaslighting" technique; in this case whoever is in a position of superiority makes the abused believe that the abuse is only the result of his unstable mind, instilling both the worm of mental illness and the belief that he is somehow responsible for the violence due to an elusive way wrong to behave.
The trauma that derives from mistreatment can have serious repercussions on the mental health of the victim: fear, sense of helplessness, post-traumatic stress disorder, delay in cognitive development, are just some of the consequences that can arise even after years.
How to get out of domestic violence
Escaping a domestic violence situation is by no means easy. Often the woman who suffers it is very psychologically tested or does not have economic help to react to the abuse and save herself. Economic independence is, in fact, one of the main factors that can help victims find a way out. . If you believe you have suffered violence, or are witnesses of abuse, the first thing to do is to call the national anti-violence telephone number 1522 and report the fact.
The first directions to follow and some answers to the most common questions about gender-based violence will be provided on the phone. If you are in immediate danger, call the police immediately on 112, 113 or 118.In Canada, a "feminist association has proposed to establish a conventional signal, called" Signal for Help ", which identifies a situation of immediate danger through the gesture of the thumb bent towards the palm of the hand while holding the other fingers in a fist.
A convention whose objective is similar to what happens in France: drawing a black dot on the hand means "I'm looking for help". In the United States, a dedicated telephone line, the National domestic violence Helpline, listens to victims of violence and directs them to a shelter.
Also in Italy there is a network of anti-violence centers that welcome abused women. The Casa delle Donne is a non-profit organization that has been involved in supporting those in difficulty since 1990, while the Commission for Equal Opportunities has committed itself to allocating more funds for the construction of anti-violence houses.
If you are in an emergency situation it is important to go to a safe place with your children. The Italian Criminal Code punishes crimes of domestic violence and it is important to report your aggressor to the police.
