{"id":19780,"date":"2025-03-28T15:44:41","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T22:44:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakthesilencedv.org\/?p=19780"},"modified":"2025-03-28T15:44:44","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T22:44:44","slug":"need-to-know-facts-about-domestic-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakthesilencedv.org\/?p=19780","title":{"rendered":"Need to Know Facts About Domestic Violence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Mikayla Shave<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Domestic violence includes not just sexual assault, or punching a spouse. Domestic violence includes predatory skillsets\u2014gaslighting, weaponized incompetence, and withholding of finances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It includes an abuser isolating their victims in such a way that they may not understand their actions. It\u2019s like a wolf hunting for prey. They start with subjects who appear to be more isolated or vulnerable. Slowly chipping away at the victims\u2019 self-esteem and cutting them off from the world around them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, progressing to complete and total control whether it be physical, financial, or emotional. Domestic violence includes rape, robbery, and aggravated or simple assault committed by those we love and have loved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research on Domestic Violence Cases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2012, 15% of all intimate partner violence accounted for violent victimizations, 4% was committed by immediate family members, 2% by other relatives, 32% by casual acquaintances, and 38% of these violent victimizations were committed by total strangers (Truman & Morgan, 2014). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Domestic violence does not exclude. It does not discriminate between races, or relationships and the cycle will not stop until people join and stop settling for maltreatment. Throughout 2003-12, intimate partner violence accounted for 14.6% of all violent victimizations with 7.8% of that being committed by current or former romantic partners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way I see it, domestic violence is systemic. The question of whether men or women abandon or remain in a violent relationship is indeed the most frequent query in literature and public in general. Even survivors ask ourselves \u201cWhy did we stay for so long?\u201d and \u201cHow could I have deserved that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Child Abuse and Parental Relationships<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Studies have shown that despite a good relationship between the victims and their parents, some perpetrators still successfully isolated the victim (Pereira, et al., 2020). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we take it a step back in time and evaluate systemic child abuse which can breed personality disorders such as NPD, BPD, and provide the basis for psychopathy\u2014studies have shown significant associations between the experience of abused children and adjustments across the life span in domains of mental health, physical health, and psychosocial adjustment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the United States has treatment such as evidence-based trauma-focused therapies (Carr, et al., 2018), do the abusers continue the cycle elsewhere? In their next relationships? Over 14 out of every 100 American children from ages 3-17 are subjected to familial abuse and violence each year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With these numbers, the American prison system would theoretically be overloaded with inmates. Or so we thought\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"crosshairs\"<\/a>
https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/girl-covering-her-face-with-both-hands-VZILDYoqn_U<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Children in the Crosshairs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 1979, Sweden implemented a series of proactive legal reforms aimed at eliminating corporal punishment of children within their own homes. The primary purposes of this ban were to recognize and affirm children\u2019s rights to the security of the person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, Sweden has had dramatic decreases in corporal punishment, serious assaults are uncommon, and child abuse fatalities are extremely rare (Durrant & Janson, 2005). All in all, the phenomenon of child abuse is deeply rooted in our cultural and religious history\u2014as old as civilization itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve toyed with the idea regarding the serious lack of prison time spent for crimes against family as compartmentalization, in that judges and attorneys don\u2019t want to believe these things happen to children or wives or husbands daily. In my personal experiences throughout child custody court, even armed with state documentation and police reports. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was still fighting an uphill battle for full custody of my two small children. As if the injuries that I sustained weren\u2019t enough, my daughter suffered bilateral femur fractures at just one-year-old. The response from the judge: \u201cIt didn\u2019t happen to your son, so you get 50\/50 of him\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American Legal System<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

America\u2019s legal system is not preventative, it\u2019s post-event. Designed heavily with innocent until proven guilty mindsets. Children and loved ones are treated like sheep through the chutes. In a study consisting of 1,698 children having been medically evaluated in 2013-2014 in Oklahoma, 477 (28%) of those children yielded a medical diagnosis of at least one type of maltreatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not to mention, further analysis yielded 115 unique court cases involving 138 defendants and 151 children. Out of 286 charges, only 190 convictions were noted. Most suspected maltreatment cases seen by child abuse pediatricians did not result in criminal court outcomes\u2014leaving them to go home with their abusers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Theories on Moving Forward<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Over time throughout my healing process, I\u2019ve battled with endless theories on fixing the domestic violence epidemic. One of which continues to bounce around in my thought processes. This theory consists of holding domestic violence convictions in higher regard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With stricter punishments and mandatory long-term therapy. As well as a register. Like that of sexual offenders. I believe that if the United States implemented a roster of sorts and mandated that anyone convicted of any domestic violence charges be consistently registered on this list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than only holding sex offenders to mandatory guidelines like not being allowed within 50 miles of a school, it be the same for any convicted of child abuse or endangerment. As it stands right now, child abusers and domestic violence perpetrators can essentially hop from relationship to relationship without any real punishment and no notification to future romantic partners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe that a registry would be substantial enough for small-time offenders to seriously evaluate their lives and choices. While heavier prison sentences would create further hardships for repeat offenders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The second step to my theory is for the government to provide long-term therapy to any victims of domestic violence. With the government and tax dollars being required to cover the costs and foot the bills, this would cause heavy case reviews and bring more awareness to this systemic issue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government would want to see data outcomes and findings that could indicate improvement in suspected cases not resulting in criminal court. Currently, I\u2019ve been partnering with various communities around Denver while attending school full-time and working not one but two separate jobs\u2014all in hopes of connecting with the right people to help tackle this mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check These Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n