The Effects Of Domestic Abuse Survivors

Although we lost Ellen Pence, a woman who changed how domestic violence is addressed, in 2012, there are many lives that are being saved to this day because of her work. Ellen Pence found her calling in 1977 when she began working for the Minneapolis Housing Authority that helped individuals relocate with housing complications (StarTribune, 2010). It was then that she immersed herself through domestic violence cases and set the standard for addressing these cases. Ellen Pence is especially known for establishing the Duluth Program, a program that address batterers in the court systems, and Praxis Training, which are training on addressing domestic violence for law enforcement, advocates, community agencies, and institutions. Pence’s 35 years of service change the way domestic violence cases were handled, educated key players in domestic violence cases, and showed the world what it was like to be a victim of domestic abuse. Without her efforts, many individuals in power addressing these cases would be lost and those to who are victims would not be understood as they are today.

After an individual has been in an abusive relationship they are no longer the same person they were from the start of the relationship, all the trauma they had to endure leaves them

William, Rachel’s three year old son is crying standing over her as she is slowly regaining consciousness. Her boyfriend, Daniel, was gone; their bedroom door was left cracked open and Rachel was on the couch in their room. Pained around her neck from where he choked her, she tries to wrap her head around how she got to this point. Why does Daniel hate her? What did she do this time? Can she, should she, just leave with William? Rachel realizes she has to get out of the house before Daniel gets back. When she arrives at her mother’s house, her mom is alarmed. Rachel has bruises around her neck and marks around her hairline. Rachel’s mother tells her “You come here every week and you go back to that monster every week. I see these bruises but you must not feel they are a problem since you keep going back to him.” Rachel’s mom walks out of the room frustrated.

Many women and men seek intimate relationships in order to fill their emotional needs of security, safety and love. Their journey starts off with their loved ones spoiling them with flattering gifts and emotional words. The love they feel is so wonderful and deep that they believe that nothing can come between them. They are so happy and convinced that they will live happily ever after with the one they love. Unfortunately, the fairytale they have dreamt about was only temporary and soon comes to an end. The love story they have ones longed for turns into a horrible nightmare. The emotional words they were once spoiled with turn into howling screams and name-calling. The flattering gifts turn into physical abuse. This relationship is referred to as domestic violence or intimate partner violence. This happens when a partner or significant other declares power, authority and control over the other partner. To maintain this authority and control, the abusive partner uses emotional, physical or sexual abuse over his victim (Alters 27). Victims will desperately look for an exit out of this relationship, but only to be blocked by numerous walls of the despair, fear and misery. Many people are convinced that victims have the option of leaving, but they are too weak and they choose not to. What many people don 't know is, victims of domestic violence have many reasons preventing them from leaving their abusers. In most cases the outcomes of leaving are

America has not always been easy going on minorities. Ever since colonizers settled America, Americans have been terrorizing others, starting with Native Americans. Even in present day America, African Americans, Asian Americans, women, LGBTQ members, and Native Americans, and Latinos are still forced to fight for their civil rights. Groups like “Blacks Lives Matter” and the Women’s March Movement prove that inequalities still exist in today’s society despite the fact minorities have been fighting for their rights for over 100 years. All groups fight for their equal rights was a struggle no matter how “hard” or “easy” it was.

Even though suicide is a personal situation, sometimes the reasons for suicide is more personal that what most can see such as domestic violence, this includes physical and verbal abuse. Children and teens who are abused domestically tend to experience emotional, mental, physical and social damage that could affect their entire lives. The psychological effects of domestic violence could be long or short term and many children experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which is similar to what a combat veteran would experience after war. Even if the abuse is not directed to the child, he/she could still be affected by witnessing abuse around them. According to the Child Domestic Violence Association those who grow up in a with domestic

Domestic violence has long term and short term effects on victims. “Victims may abuse alcohol or drugs and experience depression, eating disorders, or other types of psychological distress” (Gelles). Long term effects could be that they go through depression, begin to abuse alcohol or drugs, or suffer through eating disorders. Being a victim and if they run they have to be aware of their surroundings to make sure that they are not following them.They might not trust anyone for a long time and that could cause them to go through these things because they do not have anyone to talk to.

It happens and it causes us to alter our plans in life and life itself. Most domestic violence survivors did not plan to be abuse or heartbroken, but it happened. Some victims made it out alive and some did not. For those who are survivors of domestic violence, they should get the support you need. It is important to make sure they seek help during their time of healing. It is understood that things will rough, and it's hard to see the light at the end of that terrifying tunnel. Survivors have to remember that if God brought them to it, then he'll bring them through it. It seems hard and unfair, but according to 1 Corinthian 10:13 God will never give us more than we can handle. Their test can turn into a testimony to help someone else out of the same situation. They can explain that they were once a victim, but now they are a

Domestic violence can change one’s worldview and outlook on life. Being in a situation where a person is being controlled by another can create feelings of hopelessness. A survivor may develop a negative outlook in which he or she may feel “damaged” or unworthy of a better life. A perpetrator can chip away at a person’s self-esteem with constant criticism or insults, which can lead the survivor to question her sense

According to The National Domestic Violence Hotline, the abused stay in domestic relationships due to fear, embarrassment, low self-esteem, love, and believing that the abuse is normal. For me, these are all true.

Any kind of abuse can lead to serious physical or mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, pain into private area and changes gastrointestinal disorder. Domestic violence had an impact not just on mood but on other mental health aspects as well. abuse is related to health via a complex matrix of behavioral, emotional, social, and cognitive factors. Abuse can cause suicide or death. Because abuse person faces every day too much stress or depression. So the nurses first responsibility to reduce the abuse person stress and make a safe environment around him or her. Try to help abuse person make her or his self-busy with reading books, talk with their close friends and watch television. Also providing references for psychologists

You can’t tell by looking at someone that they are an abuser; they can come from different races, cultures and backgrounds. An abuser could be your closest friend or relative and you would not know, one study found that 90% of abusers do not have criminal records and that abusers are generally law abiding citizens (Barbara Corry). There are signs that someone may have the potential to be an abusive partner in the early stages before their true character begins to emerge, and there are things like certain habits, behaviors and personality trends that you can look out for before becoming too involved with someone who could possibly be an abusive partner.

Home,when you hear this word does it bring you joy, warmth, or love? For some it brings fear, sarro, or even gives them anxiety. While you’re having fun with your family, others may be tucked away fearing who will be home first.

Underreported and underestimated, domestic abuse rips families apart every single day. Domestic violence comes in mainly five different forms, physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, and economic. This violence ruins families, demoralizes the victims, and the public downplays the household terrorism that goes on every day. Generally thought of as taboo, the public belittles and humorizes domestic abuse as a way to deal with it, that avoidance must come to an end.

So what makes an abuser? The goal of the abuser is power and control over their partner. Domestic violence can affect all, but more often it is the male inflicting the harm due to their physical advantage and also their societal taught dominating role. The abuser tends to conform to the stereotypical view of the man and women. The man goes out to make the money and support the family, while women stays home to cook, clean, and look after the kids. In knowing this, it is easy to understand why leaving an abusive relationship can be so difficult for the individual being abused, as leaving involves many needed changes and few solutions to the problems.