Analysis of Myths Surrounding Family Violence and Abuse

This essay critically examines and debunks several pervasive myths surrounding family violence. It challenges misconceptions about the demographics of victims, asserting that abuse can affect individuals regardless of socioeconomic status, culture, or sexual orientation. The essay clarifies that family violence encompasses diverse relationship types, including same-sex couples, parent-child relationships, and those involving individuals with disabilities. It also emphasizes that family violence is not merely a personal issue between spouses but affects all relationships and is not solely caused by rage or anger, as perpetrators often act deliberately to control and dominate their victims, and that emotional and psychological abuse are forms of family violence, which can have lasting impacts. The essay also addresses the misconception that victims provoke violence and highlights that violence is a choice made by the abuser, regardless of the victim's actions or behavior.

M Y T H : F A M I L Y V I O L E N C E I S
A P E R S O N A L P R O B L E M
B E T W E E N H U S B A N D A N D
W I F E .
Truth: Family violence affects every
relationships (Edwards, 2015).
M Y T H : F A M I L Y V I O L E N C E
T A K E S P L A C E O N L Y I N S M A L L
N U M B E R O F H E T E R O S E X U A L
R E L A T I O N S H I P S
Truth: Family violence could take place in any
family or intimate relationship, comprising of
same-sex ones, between the adult children and
parents, in between disable people, siblings and
ever their carers (Kubicek, McNeeley & Collins,
2015). Every 1 in 3 Australian women experience
family violence in their lifetime.
M Y T H : A N G E R A N D S T R E S S
R E S U L T I N F A M I L Y V I O L E N C E
Truth: Having a violence behavior is a choice
of an individual. People use it for controlling
and dominating their victims and these
actions are deliberate. Often, the
perpetrators of family violence seem tobe
non-violent in public even when they are
under stress (Meichenbaum, 2017).
M Y T H : F A M I L Y V I O L E N C E
H A P P E N S O N L Y T O T H E P O O R
A N D U N E D U C A T E D W O M E N
F R O M C E R T A I N C U L T U R E S
Truth: People, of any class, culture, marital status,
religion, age and sexual orientation can become the
victims of family violence. As women who earn and
have money have more access to the resources, the
poorer ones, tend to make use of community
agencies and this is why, they are more visible.
Myths on Family
Violence
No one deserves to be abused
M Y T H : F A M I L Y V I O L E N
A L L A B O U T R A G E A N D
Truth: Family violence always takes place in private,
with absolutely no witness. The perpetrators do not
abuse their bosses and colleagues, regardless of the
level of stress that they experience while working
with them (Borrajo & Calvete, 2015). Often they hur
the victims in their body parts where injuries get
hidden.
M Y T H : O N L Y P H Y S I C A L
V I O L E N C E I S R E G A R D E
F A M I L Y V I O L E N C E .
Truth: Family violence or domestic violence is
defined as the act of controlling and violent
behavior that causes financial, emotional, physical,
sexual and psychological damage to any of the
family member or partner (Lemos, 2015). In fact,
psychological and emotional abuse could leave a
very deep scars and they are very tough to
overcome.
M Y T H : F A M I L Y V I O L E N
H A P P E N S B E C A U S E W O
P R O V O K E M E N .
Truth: there is no excuse for violence. Family
violence takes place as the person chooses for
acting violently. Majority of the women experience
abuse and they try doing everything so that they
could please their partners and avoid the future
violence (McCarrick, Davis-McCabe & Hirst-
Winthrop, 2016). However, they still remain
vulnerable for future abuses, regardless of their
behaviour.

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