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The History of Domestic Violence

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Introduction
Domestic violence started back in the days of Roman Empire however, it was not recognised in Australia as a crime until the early 70’s, Davidson, (1977 cited in Edleson, 1999 ). Furthermore, children who witness this crime are only now beginning to be recognised as victims. These victims and the long term effects of witnessing physical abuse in their home on a regular basis is only new territory that statistics are being done, in comparison with adult victims.

Domestic abuse is someone having power and control over another person. You do not have to be physically hit to be a victim of domestic abuse. Cases can include economic abuse, stopping someone from having access to money or giving them a limited amount to spend. It can be intimidation, by someone using a certain looks, actions or gestures to warn someone to shut up or do as they are told. Emotional abuse is putting someone down, humiliating them or calling them names. Being told not to see or spend time with family or friends is called isolation abuse, and finally using the children to pass on messages or making people feel guilty about what kind of parent they are. These are all kinds of abuse and once it takes place the final straw is minimizing and blaming, this is where the perpetrator makes light of the situation or denies it occurring at all. If they do admit to it, they are likely to tell the victim they caused it to happen.

In this study we look at the possible long term effects on these often

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