The Leading Cause Of Domestic Violence In The United States

Domestic violence is a habitual pattern of violent behavior in a relationship used by one partner in order to gain control and power over another intimate partner. This is the definition given by the US Office on Violence Against Women. Domestic violence can inflict anyone anywhere in the world regardless of age, race, religion and gender. Based on statistics, the leading cause of injury to women is domestic violence. The number of reported violence exceeds that of muggings, vehicle accidents and rapes combined. To illustrate the severity of this problem, a woman is assaulted every nine seconds in the US and more than 3 women are murdered either by their husbands or boyfriends daily. Why is domestic violence so rampant in the society? What are the factors that contribute to such violence?
One is poverty and low economic conditions. Economic problems like loss of job and failures in economic pursuits contribute to a buildup of negative feelings and agitation. Coping with financial problems can be so overwhelming to some people that they release anger and disappointment by inflicting pain towards their partners. Another contributing factor is the predisposition and family history of a person. Someone who has witnessed domestic violence as a child or had been a victim of domestic violence as a child is more prone to abuse a partner as he gets older. Children who grow up in dysfunctional homes may tend to show normal growth and behaviour but a subconscious aspect of their development may prove otherwise. At times, involvement of substance abuse like alcohol can trigger abusive behaviour. Alcohol rehabilitation centers include family history as a contributing factor that may link abusive behavior and