This document discusses various forms of abuse including domestic abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, and rape. It outlines the characteristics of violent families, including social isolation, abuse of power and control, substance abuse issues, and intergenerational transmission of violence. The effects of intimate partner violence are described, as well as psychological, physical, sexual, and emotional forms of child abuse and elder abuse. Interventions for intimate partner violence aim to reduce this prevalent issue.
This document discusses various forms of abuse including domestic abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, and rape. It outlines the characteristics of violent families, including social isolation, abuse of power and control, substance abuse issues, and intergenerational transmission of violence. The effects of intimate partner violence are described, as well as psychological, physical, sexual, and emotional forms of child abuse and elder abuse. Interventions for intimate partner violence aim to reduce this prevalent issue.
This document discusses various forms of abuse including domestic abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, and rape. It outlines the characteristics of violent families, including social isolation, abuse of power and control, substance abuse issues, and intergenerational transmission of violence. The effects of intimate partner violence are described, as well as psychological, physical, sexual, and emotional forms of child abuse and elder abuse. Interventions for intimate partner violence aim to reduce this prevalent issue.
• This chapter discusses domestic abuse (intimate partner
abuse, child abuse/neglect, and elder abuse) and rape. • Many survivors of abuse suffer long – term emotional trauma, including disorders associated with abuse and violence: posttraumatic stress disorder and dissociative disorders and depression. Family Violence • Spouse battering • Neglect and physical • Emotional • Sexual abuse of children • Elder abuse • Marital rape • In violent families, the home, which is normally a safe haven of love and protection, may be the most dangerous place for victims. Characteristics of Violent Families • Social Isolation – Members of these these families keep to themselves and usually do not invite others into the home or tell them what is happening. – Often, abusers threaten victims with even greater harm if they reveal the secret. – So children keep the secret out of fear, which prevents others from “interfering with private family business.” • Abuse of Power and Control – The abuser always holds a position of pwer of control over the victim. – Abuser exerts physical power, economic and social control. – He/she is the only one who make decisions, spends money, or spends time outside the home with other people. – The abuser belittles and blames the victim, often by using threats and emotional manipulation. • Alcohol and other drug abuse – Substance abuse, esp. alcoholism has been associated with family violence. – Alcohol does not cause the person to be abusive; rather, an abusive person also is likely to use alcohol or other drugs. – Although alcohol may not cause the abuse, many researchers believe that alcohol may diminish inhibitions and make violent behavior more intense or frequent. – Alcohol is also cited as a factor in acquaintance rape or date rape. • Intergenerational transmission process – Shows that patterns of violence are perpetuated from one generation to the next through role modeling and social learning. – Learned pattern of behavior. – Not all persons exposed to family violence, however, become abusive or violent as adults. INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE • Is the mistreatment or misuse of one person by another in the context of an emotionally intimate relationship. • The relationship may be spousal, between partners, boyfriend, girlfriend, or an estranged relationship. • The abuse can be emotional or psychological, physical, sexual or a combination. • Psychological abuse (emotional abuse) – Name calling – Belttling – Screaming – Yelling – Destroying property – Making threats as well as subtler form • Physical Abuse – Shoving or pushing – Severe battering – Choking • SEXUAL ABUSE – Biting nipples – Pulling hair – Slapping – Hitting – Rape • An abusive husband often believes his wife belong to him (like property). • Becomes increasingly violent and abusive if she shows any signs of independence. • Typically, the abuser has strong feelings of inadequacy and low self – esteem as well as poor problem solving and social skills. • He is emotionally immature, needy, irrationally jealous and possessive. • The violent behavior often is rewarding and boosts his self – esteem. • Dependency is the trait most commonly found in abused wives who stay with their husbands. • They cite personal and financial dependency as to why it is extremely difficult to leave. • She defines herself as a person by her ability to remain loyal to her marriage and “make it work.” • Some women internalize the critism that they are to blame CHILD ABUSE • Or maltreatment generally is defined as intentional injury of a child. • It can include physical abuse or injuries, neglect or failure to prevent harm, failure to provide adequate physical or emotional care or supervision, abandonment; sexual assault or intrusion, and overt torture or maiming. • Fathers, stepfathers, uncles, older siblings and live – in partners of the child’s mother often perpetrate abuse on girls. • Adults with a history of childhood sexual abuse are at greatser risk for depression, suicide attempts, marital problems, marriage to an alcoholic, smoking, alcohol abuse, chronic pain, and medically unexplained symptoms. TYPES OF CHILD ABUSE • SEXUAL ABUSE – Sexual acts performed by an adult on a child younger than 18 years. – Include incest, rape, and sodomy performed directly on the person or with an object, oral – genital contact, acts of molestations. – Also involves exploitation • Neglect – is malicious or ignorantwithholoding of physical, emotional, or educational necessities for the child’s well – being. - Includes refusal to seek health care or delay doing so, abandonment, inadequate supervision, reckless disregard for the child’s safety; punitive, exploitive, or abusive emotional treatment. • Psychological abuse – Constant family discord such as fighting, yelling and chaos. – Emotional deprivation or withholding of affection, nurturing, and normal experiences that engender acceptance, love security, and self – worth. • Emotional abuse – Often accompanies other types of abuse e.g. physical or sexual abuse. ELDER ABUSE • Is a maltreatment of older adults by family members or others in a caregiver role. • May include physical, and sexual abuse, financial exploitation and denial of adequate medical treatment. • Most victims are 75 y/o women. • Rape is any act of non-consensual sexual penetration. It doesn’t matter if the victim was raped by force or only under duress, the crime is still rape. An individual may be charged with the crime of rape or other specific types of rape such as statutory rape, date rape, gang rape, incestual rape, prison rape or marital rape. A person who rapes (a rapist), can be either a male or a female. A rape victim can also be a male or a female. • Rape can include vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse, oral sex or penetration with any object or body part. Any degree of penetration is sufficient to constitute rape, ejaculation is not required. Moreover, in many jurisdictions each penetration is a new rape and could result in consecutive sentences. • Consent, or lack thereof, is one of the main elements of the crime of rape. Statutory rape is committed even when a minor under the age of consent willingly engages in a sexual act with the adult, because the minor is unable to legally consent. An intellectually disabled person is also legally incapable of consenting to sex. In the context of other types of rape, whether or not there was consent to sexual penetration will be derived by the facts particular to each case. Consent is the most common defense to rape charges. Both the actions and the statements of the victim will be assessed for consent. However, it is important to know that a victim does not necessarily consent to sexual penetration just because he or she did nothing to stop it. Even if an individual at first consents to the sexual act, he or she may withdraw consent at any time. Further, there must be consent to every sexual act – just because an individual consented in the past, doesn’t mean he or she cannot withdraw this consent to future acts. Finally, it is important to remember that the defense of consent is unavailable in situations in which the rape victim is unable to consent legally, as in a statutory rape. Many rapes happen when there are drugs and alcohol involved. Whether a victim was heavily under the influence of drugs or alcohol can also have an effect in whether or not the victim consented to the sexual penetration. Date rape drugs, drugs that are used by some individuals to sedate a victim in order to have sex with them, are odorless and tasteless, usually mixed with alcohol, and can render a person unable to prevent a sexual assault. Date rape drugs can also cause a person to fall unconscious. However, just because the individual did nothing to stop the sexual act does not mean that they consented to it. Further, sexual penetration with someone who is unconscious or asleep is virtually always deemed a rape, as there is no way for the individual to give their consent to the act. Interventions For Intimate Partner Violence • Given the alarmingly high prevalence of IPV (World Health Organization, 2013) and the serious physical, psychological, and interpersonal impact experienced by victims of such abuse (e.g., Dutton, 2006; Golding, 1999) and by children witnessing a parent being assaulted (Carter, Weithorn, & Behrman, 1999), counteracting and reducing this phenomena with epidemic proportions represents a crucial challenge for the World Health Organization (WHO) and all the ministries of health, non-governmental organizations, and national agencies worldwide. • In Europe and the United States psychologists have contributed to the research, clinical evaluation, intervention and prevention of domestic violence. Each country has unique factors that determine the services and resources available to abused women, to children exposed to domestic violence and to abused partners. However, what ultimately determines the vulnerability and the safety of women are factors such as gender interaction, political structure, religious claims, attitudes towards violence in general and violence against women, as well as state sponsored violence, for example civil conflicts and wars, and migrations from and between countries. Treatment • This program provides individual, family or group treatment to assist children/families in recovering from child abuse, neglect or domestic violence exposure. Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF- CBT) is an evidenced based practice commonly used with CA/FV treatment clients. The Healthy Families Group program provides multifamily counseling for children ages 4-17 and their mothers who have experienced Family Violence in the home. The group program alternates between seeing children and mothers in separate groups to address issues in an age- appropriate manner, with bringing families together each month to share their common experiences and recognize their strengths and accomplishments. The children’s groups address coping with reactions to trauma and disruptions or violence at home. Children are able to share the story of what they’ve experienced and learn that other children have dealt with similar issues, reducing their sense of isolation and shame. The mother’s group focuses on recovering from the physical and emotional abuse of family violence, supporting each group member in her individual growth and empowerment. Groups designed to prevent Youth Violence are also available.