Factors Associated with Domestic Violence and Its Effects on Victims and Perpetrators

This paper aims to illustrate the factors associated with the incidence of domestic violence and the effect it has on the victims. Along with the victims, the paper also discusses domestic violence from the perspective of the perpetuators. The socio-economic factors play a pivotal role in the occurrences of domestic violence. Psychological factors contribute majorly to the occurrence of domestic violence. In terms of the perpetrators of domestic violence, the existence of domestic violence between the intimate partners is often related to the psychological perspectives. The victims of domestic violence are found in all strata of the community; it might be within the lower economic or uneducated classes or might be amongst the wealthy and the educated people.

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MENTAL HEALTH- NURSING
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Domestic violence most of the time is related to the long term physical violence is
especially inflicted in the women population. It is most of the most prevalent forms of
violence that is associated with violence which is gender based on a world-wide prospect.
Not only it is related to physical violence, but also involved psychological violence (Bugeja
et al., 2013). This increasing amount of domestic violence needs to be addressed not only as
an issue in terms of human rights but also as serious health issue which increases the risk of
public health. This paper aims to illustrate the factors associated with the incidence of
domestic violence and the effect it has on the victims. Along with the victims, the paper also
discusses domestic violence from the perspective of the perpetuators.
The socio-economic factors play a pivotal role in the occurrences of domestic
violence. Most of the time the women are the victims of domestic violence, one of the major
reasons is the low socio-economic status of the women. Factors like poverty, along with
unemployment, homelessness and the marital status adds up to the reasons of domestic
violence (Phillips&Vandenbroek, 2014). The income gap that exists between the rich and the
poor is identified as a risk factor for domestic violence. This income gaps keeps on widening
between the rich and the poor, showing that "the average income of the poorest fifth of the
population down six percent and the average income of the top fifth up 30 percent over the
past 20 years" (Root& Brown, 2014). Several other factors like lack of higher education and
employment status adds up to the problems of domestic violence. The factors are often
associated with the poor health which can be both physical and mental health in addition to
pregnancy in the last 5 years, being under the age of 17 while first time sex and having first
child birth under the age of 21 are also identified as being related to the causes of domestic
violence in higher rates (Berns, 2017). The duration of the marriage along with worsening of
the marital relations and marriage by family decision had an incremental effect on the
inflicted domestic violence.Areduced social support network leads to the increase ofsexual

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violence against women.Most of the identified factors were more or less interconnected with
each other. In the rural setting, factors like religious affiliation also play a role in domestic
violence along with the other factors (Pallitto et al., 2013).
Psychological factors contribute majorly to the occurrence of domestic violence. A
study showed that the individuals especially the men who were involved in inflicting
domestic violence on their intimate partners, out of them 54.5% individuals were exposed to
psychological violence, about 19.3% were exposed to economic violence in addition to
another 6.3% who were exposed to sexual violence (Jahanfar et al., 2013).The study stated
that factors like marriage against the consent of the family and the existence of violent history
against women in the family history of the partner had increasing effects on domestic
violence by an intimate partner. A history of exposure to physical violence during the
childhood phase leads to increased incidences of domestic violence.
In terms of the perpetrators of domestic violence, the existence of domestic violence
between the intimate partners is often related to the psychological perspectives. The problem
emphasises on the personality disorders and the experiences underwent in the early phases or
childhood, which increases the risk of violence. According to most of the studies, men tend to
display more aggression in comparison to women, including psychological aggression
(Tenkorang et al., 2013). These aggressive individuals tend to display increased rates of
jealousy and suspicion in addition to the drastic and sudden mood swings, lack of self-control
and higher than average rates of approval of violence and aggression. The researchers have
identified that most of the antisocial male individuals display aggression in an interpersonal
manner especially against the strangers and their intimate female partners (James, Brody &
Hamilton, 2013). However in the context of aggressive antisocial women, they are only
sometimes aggressive towards their intimate male partners. According to some of the studies,
these individuals who are perpetuators of domestic violence suffer from high rates of

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personality disorders. The study also states that the rates of existing personality disorders
incidences are about 80-90 per cent in the case of wife assaulters both in court-referred and
self-referred cases. However in terms of estimates in the general population, it is generally
from 15-20 per cent. It is seen that only 10 per cent of incidents of violence might be due to
the prevalence of mental disorders in the persons primarily, whereas 90 per cent occur to do
some incidence that is beyond psychopathological explanations (Guedes et al., 2015). Some
of the researchers also argue that most of the wife assaulters suffered from basically three
forms of personality disorders which included the antisocial, the borderline and the over-
controlled type. In case of borderline personality organization the factors included are shame-
based rage, along with the tendency to project blame. It also includes attachment anxiety
which is often shown as rage and a rageful outburst which is sustained especially in the
primary in intimate relationships.It is often perceived that the perpetrators are generally
concerned with their reputation among the community and also their image amongst their
neighbours or colleagues and other members of the family or extended family. Therefore
these people tend to use the specific forms of denial in the public that is family honor
stricture (Straus, Gelles& Steinmetz, 2017).
The victims of domestic violence are found in all strata of the community; it might
be within the lower economic or uneducated classes or might be amongst the wealthy and the
educated people. The victims could belong to rural areas or urban cities. It might be the
housing projects which are subsidized or in communities which are gated. However, domestic
violence is involved in affecting majorly thewomen and also the children of both sexes (Root
& Brown, 2014). In some cases men are also victims of rapes and experience domestic
violence. A recent study confirmed that the victimscan be the male partner. The data from the
same study showed that the women can be equally violent as men or might even display
frequent acts of violence toward their partners. It showed that 21.6 per cent victims were

4MENTAL HEALTH- NURSING
male and that women victims accounted for 28.7 per cent. Similarly in cases of bilateral
violence were 49 per cent of couples. Researchers through a study also found that the men in
comparison tothe female offenders were more likely to get arrested (Lansford et al., 2014).
The critical justice was also treated more severely by the criminal justice system. The studies
also showed that in most cases where the male partner only was injured, the female partner
was accused in 60.2 per cent of the cases. In comparison the cases wherethe female partner
was found injured, the male was charged 91.1 per cent of the time. In cases with there was no
such injury, the male was seen to be charged 52.5 per cent while the female was charged 13.2
per cent of the time (Guedes et al., 2015). The same study found that the women partners
were more likely to use weapons and to cause injuries. They likewise to have more extreme
charges and that the individuals who were indicted had a tendency to have caused larger
amounts of damage against their casualty than the men and, as with the arrested females, who
were more probable than men to have used weapons. In extreme damage cases, 71.4 for every
percent of men and 22.2 for each percent of women were found to beliable. The low level of
womenfound liable was because of witness issues. The researchers reported that men have
more trouble in communicating their hardship in the event that they are casualties of
viciousness. The researchers also distinguish a few more reasons which are associated to one
another. They are solid, physically and inwardly, to be supplier, particularly women and
children. Different reasons where found in women's liberation and sexual orientation related
legislative issues. Regardless of whether a man concludes that he is stronger, they frequently
do not have such an interpersonal organizationas a woman and can't so effortlessly attain,
what is transpiring (Lansford et al., 2014).
In conclusion it can be stated that domestic violence is prominently seen between
intimate partners. There are several socio-economic as well as the psychological causes
identified which leads to an increased rate of violence in the domestic setting. Although most

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the times the perpetuators of violence are the men who are generally antisocial and suffer
from psychological problems and the victims are mainly the women. However it is not
always the case. Some of the antisocial women also show signs of aggression and most of the
time these women inflict violence on their intimate male partners. The study shows that both
men and women can be perpetuators as well as victims of domestic violence.

6MENTAL HEALTH- NURSING
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