Domestic Violence

Domestic violence (also known as family violence or domestic abuse) is a pattern of behavior which involves violence or other abuse by one person against another in a home or family setting. Domestic violence can take place in heterosexual and same-sex family relationships, and can involve violence against children in the family. It also includes violence committed by children toward either parent and other siblings.[1][2]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is violence by a spouse or partner in an intimate relationship against the other spouse or partner. Intimate violence can take a number of forms including physical, verbal, emotional, economic and sexual abuse, which can range from subtle, coercive forms, to marital rape and to violent physical
Globally, however, a wife or female partner is more commonly the victim of such violence.[3][4] In some countries, particularly where there has been actual, or suspected infidelity by female partners, wife-beating is seen as justified by the majority of the population, and may be codified into law. Recent research has also shown there to be a direct and significant correlation between a country's level of gender equality, and actual rates of domestic violence.[5] Both partners may also engage in abusive or violent behavior, or the victim may act in self-defense or retaliation. Whereas women who experience domestic violence, at least in the developed world, are often openly encouraged to report it to the authorities, it has been argued that domestic violence against men is most often unreported because of social norms and pressure against such reporting; those that do often face social stigma regarding their perceived lack of machismo and other denigrations of their
It may produce intergenerational cycles of abuse in children and other family members, who may feel that such violence is acceptable or condoned. Awareness, perception, definition and documentation of domestic violence differs widely from country to country. In abusive relationships, there may be a cycle of abuse during which tensions rise and an act of violence is committed, followed by a period of reconciliation and calm. Victims of domestic violence may be trapped in domestic violent situations through isolation, power and control, cultural acceptance, lack of financial resources, fear, shame or to protect children. As a result of abuse, victims may experience physical disabilities, chronic health problems, mental illness, limited finances, and poor ability to create healthy relationships. Victims may experience psychological problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Children who live in a household with violence often show psychological problems from an early age, such as dysregulated aggression which may later contribute to continuing the legacy of abuse when they reach adulthood.[8] Domestic violence often happens in the context of forced or child