HOW TO DEAL WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?

Domestic violence is violence or other abuse in a domestic setting,either in marriage or cohabitation.
It refers to violent behaviour between current or former intimate partners typically where one partner tries to exert power and control over the other, usually through fear and intimidation.
Make no mistake about it, it can come from either partner.According to statistics, almost one in four women in Nigeria reported having ever experienced intimate partner violence which brings us to the conclusion that it is quite popular in our society today.

TYPES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

When most people think of domestic violence, they imagine a situation where the abusive partner physically hurts the victim. However, physical harm is only one form of abuse. Domestic violence can be physical, emotional, sexual, financial and much more. We will be looking into the 4 types listed above.

• PHYSICAL

  This is the popular type that everybody knows and some think that’s all there is about domestic violence. Here, the violent partner bullies or beats the other partner into submission using physical force.

• EMOTIONAL

  Emotional abuse involves the destruction of the victim’s self-worth, and is brought about by persistent insult, humiliation, or criticism. Emotional abuse can be a difficult type of domestic violence for many people to understand, since, on the surface, it appears to be quite common in unhealthy relationships.

• SEXUAL:

  This involves the use of force to get sexual satisfaction from your partner without their consent.Sexual abuse is a common form of domestic violence. It includes not only sexual assault and rape, but also harassment, such as unwelcome touching and other demeaning behaviors.

A domestic violence victim

• FINANCIAL

  Of the types of domestic violence, financial abuse is perhaps the least obvious. Financial abuse may take on many forms, such as a husband preventing his wife from obtaining an education or a job outside the home. Financial abuse makes the abused partner totally dependent.

WHEN TO GET HELP

If you have ever experienced one or more of the above then know that you are in a violent relationship where your right is being infringed upon.
A lot of partners have committed suicide, some have reached their break points where they start acting crazy and some have even gone on to commit murders because they couldn’t cope anymore.
That is the first step to getting help.
Many victims try to justify their abuser’s actions, and try to convince themselves that the situation will improve. Keep in mind, however, that domestic violence situations frequently escalate. If you have children, be aware that when they witness domestic violence, it can lead to them developing violent behaviors later in life.

HOW TO GET HELP

The following help is available for victims.
1.Police help: Reporting the abuser to the police
2. Legal prosecution of the abuser.
3. Restraining orders placed on the abuser.
4.Institutional support from various organisations that handles such issues.
Please do not die in silence, get help!