Mental Health- Nursing: Domestic Violence

This article discusses domestic violence and its impact on mental health. It explores the socioeconomic and psychological factors that contribute to domestic violence. The article also provides information on the evaluation of these factors on the perpetrator/victim. The subject is Mental Health- Nursing and the course code is not mentioned. The content is relevant to students studying nursing, psychology, and social work. The article is suitable for students in colleges and universities.

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Mental Health- Nursing: Domestic Violence
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Introduction
Domestic violence is the family abuse or domestic abuse by one person against another in
a domestic setting such as a family. It may involve physical, psychological, economic, social and
sexual abuse. Studies which have been conducted indicate that women, children and the elders in
the society are more exposed to domestic violence. Domestic violence may include acts like
forced marriage, human trafficking, rape and sexual assaults (Doidge, Higgins, Delfabbro &
Segal, 2017). Domestic violence is a type of abuse which involves injuring a spouse or a partner
but can also be a kid or a person from another family. It affects millions of lives across the globe
(Leach, Poyser & Fairweather‐Schmidt, 2017). Women are more exposed to domestic violence
because studies which were conducted indicated that one of every four women in the world is
exposed to domestic abuse and that the most significant percentage of people suffering from
domestic violence are women (O’Neal & Beckman, 2017). Despite this abuse by partners, only a
few cases are reported to the authorities, and that has led to the death of the victims if the abuser
is not warned to stop the malicious behavior.
Domestic violence against women is a significant obstacle while fighting for gender
equality in Australia and only a few nations seem to embrace it. Domestic violence against
women, children and elderly refer to the acts which are commitment violently against them and
they can cause harm to their bodies. Many factors cause domestic violence (Krnjacki, Emerson,
Llewellyn & Kavanagh, 2016). Family perspective is the first factor which indicates that the
behavior or actions of a family member are influenced by the responses which he/she gets back
from other family members. Children who are brought up by violent parents may end up
adopting this action in the future and thus abusing their partners because to them it is normal
(Eriksson & Mazerolle, 2015). The feminist perspective is another factor in which women are

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exposed to family violence as men think they are superior compared to women. In this factor,
women are believed not to have equal rights with men, and they do not have any powers in the
society, and instead, they are considered as inferior, subordinate, and in some communities, men
view them as their property (Jewkes et al., 2017). Women are much more exposed to domestic
violence in still-developing countries because the government in this countries do not have
policies and rules which protect them. Patriarchy is another factor in which men hold power over
children and women in the household and women do not have any say, and they are not involved
in the decision making of the family. According to Wolke, Tippett & Dantchev (2015), violence
against women is believed to have rooted in a patriarchal system in which men keep women as
their subordinate.
Domestic Violence and Socioeconomic Factor
For years there has been significant evidence which links socioeconomic factors and
domestic violence. Statistics have indicated a graded relationship which means the higher the
social position of an individual the more they abuse the partner and that can negatively affect
their mental health. Intimate partner violence is the most common form of domestic violence
which is experienced across the globe (Costa et al., 2015). This violence increases the rate of
unwanted pregnancies in the society as a result of sexual abuse. This occurs when a partner does
not respect the opinion of the other one. The spread of sexually transmitted infection rate has
also increased due to increased rape cases. Social-economic factor such as poverty has
profoundly contributed to domestic violence in many countries across the globe (Vaughan et al.,
2015). This happens when the breadwinner of the family is not able to provide for the basic
needs of the family such as food, shelter, clothes, education and medical care (Smyth, Hunter,
Macvean, Walter & Higgins, 2018). This can lead to misunderstanding in the family, and the

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men feel disrespected and end up performing violent acts against their female partners because in
many countries including Australia it is their role to provide for the family.
Poverty which in most cases is caused by unemployment has negative impacts on mental
health (Hemphill, Tollit, Kotevski & Heerde, 2015). This is because an individual cannot take
care of their hospital bill and therefore in most cases, they don't seek medical attention which can
worsen their health condition or lead to death. Another socioeconomic factor which has greatly
attributed to domestic violence is early marriages in which young girls are forced to marry older
men because of their harsh economic background (Costa et al., 2015). These women experience
a hard financial situation which leaves them with no option but settle with old men who can cater
for their basic needs. These young girls are most likely exposed to domestic violence because the
men partner take them as their properties exposing them to all sort of physical and sexual abuse.
Women who enter to early marriages do not have any say in the family and they have to submit
to anything the husband asks of them. Illiteracy is another critical socioeconomic factor which
significantly influences domestic violence (Straus, Gelles & Steinmetz, 2017). As compared to
developed countries, developing countries such as Australia have a high illiteracy rate. For
communities like the aboriginals women are only taught how to take care of their husbands and
home by performing simple domestic chores, and they don't get the opportunity to go to school
and be in a position to learn other new things in education institutions like how to fight for their
rights when their husbands domestically abuse them. They also don't get the opportunity to
socialize with people from other societies. Education is very essential in every aspect of life; this
is because it enables people to understand what is expected of them and they can make a quick
decision regarding a specific health condition. Studies conducted also indicated that educated

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men understand the rights of their partners and children and they cannot abuse them as compared
to non-educated ones.
Domestic Violence and Psychological Factors
Domestic violence is among the common causes of trauma in individual across the globe.
Psychological impacts of domestic violence can affect anyone in the society who is exposed to
them. Just as people are supposed to pay attention to broken injuries and bruises which are a sign
of physical abuse, they also need to address and seek medical care that a healthcare professional
can discuss and give them guidance on how to go about psychological and emotional wounds
which they experience from these traumatic events (Cook et al., 2017). The Australian
government describes psychological trauma as an emotional response which an individual
experiences from terrible or disturbing occurrences which affect their ability to function correctly
and be able to perform other functions accordingly. Though the psychological effects of a person
who experience a traumatic event varies from person to person, most people experience
emotional distress after the exposure (Van der Kolk, 2017). Fortunately, the stress experienced
by an individual can end quickly if the person receives proper and adequate support from family
members, friends, and healthcare professionals.
However, individuals who are domestically abused by their partners usually undergo
complex condition because they are always afraid of seeking assistance due to fear of retaliation
from their partners which can worsen the situation. Male is ashamed and embarrassed by sharing
their status in case the female abuses them (Stiles-Shields & Carroll, 2015). Lack of emotional
support among the victims' leads to fear, anxiety and depression which can lead to social
withdraw as individuals tend to isolate themselves from other members of the society. Victims
can also start using illicit drugs and drinking alcohol to ease the pain which they are going

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through. This substance is hazardous and harmful to their health which can lead to health
deterioration among victims (Corvo & Dutton, 2015). Total failure to support them can result in
suicidal ideas in which the victims decide to end their life. The psychological and emotional
wound which a victim experiences from domestic violence are very devastating and they can
haunt the victim for many years making them not able to make appropriate decisions which can
make their life worth living and more meaningful.
Evaluation of these Factors on the Perpetrator/Victim
Women, children and the elderly in the society are more exposed to domestic violence.
Domestic violence results in physical injuries if the victim is exposed to beatings, psychological
and emotional trauma (Van der Kolk, 2017). Physical injuries can lead to health complications
such as severe headaches and bone fractures. Severe exposure to domestic violence can lead to
lack of self-confidence among the victims making them isolate themselves from other members
of the society, and they also lack the confidence to seek medical attention which can worsen their
condition or even lead to death (Straus, Gelles & Steinmetz, 2017). Psychological trauma makes
victims fell so powerless and hence making them not contribute to decision making because they
think people will despise them.
Conclusion
Domestic violence is a global problem which is experienced by many families. Public
and private organization have increased their attention to stop domestic violence as it is
becoming a significant problem in developing countries. The Australian government has
implemented rules and policies which are used to ensure that each member of the society is

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treated equally and that there is no discrimination which can lead to domestic violence. Actions
should be taken against those individuals who commit these crimes in the society. Awareness
measures should be implemented in the community to educate individuals on their rights and that
they should report any person who violates their rights. Victims of domestic violence should be
given a lot of support from family members, friends, and professional health workers.

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