Domestic violence by Erica Williams For my electronic project, I have chosen to present the topic of Domestic Violence. I have chosen this topic because it is a problem in today’s society. Hope you enjoy!

What is battering? Battering is a pattern of behaviour used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation. It can also be called an uncooperative relationship. In most cases the abuser was male and the victim female. This is not, however, to deny the existence of other forms of violence within households.

More on domestic violence the vast majority of domestic violence victims are women. Domestic violence is a problem in large metropolitan areas as well as small rural regions.Victims are commonly asked what they did to provoke the attacker and this leads them to believe they are to blame.

Types of battering Psychological Battering -The abuser’s psychological or mental violence can include constant verbal abuse, harassment, excessive possessiveness Sexual Abuse - Physical attack by the abuser is often accompanied by, or culminates in, sexual violence Physical Battering - The abuser’s physical attacks or aggressive behaviour can range from bruising to murder.

The facts A women is battered every 9 seconds in this country. An estimated 59% of women murdered in this country are killed by husbands,lovers,former partners, after being abused for years. Wife-beating is the most under reported crime in the country, with the actual incidences estimated to be 10 times higher than the reported incidences.

Why do men batter women? family dysfunction, inadequate communication skills, provocation by women, stress, chemical dependency, lack of spirituality and economic hardship. These issues may be associated with battering of women, but they are not the causes. Removing these associated factors will not end men’s violence against women

Men who are battered by partners Physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of men is something that doesn't get talked about very much. A lot of people are very emotionally and politically invested in believing that violence isn't something that women do. Women who initiate violence are more likely to throw something, kick, bite or hit and assault with an object other than a knife or gun.

Vulnerability factors Women age 16 to 24 are most likely to be victimized by an intimate partner. African-American women experience more domestic violence than White women in the age group of 20-24 . Women are most vulnerable to violence when separated from their intimate partner.

Effects of battering Isolation, low self-esteem, depression, alcohol & drug abuse, emotional problems, illness, pain & injuries, permanent physical damage, death. These can lead to problems with children if the mother is like this. Only in extreme cases will death occur.

Analysis on domestic violence It may appear that domestic violence is nothing new. Even though there is this fact, it shouldn’t be like that. Just by doing this project, I have realised, without doing so before, that women turn to things such as drink and drugs to escape from their problems. And I also think that not many of these women realise how much and how many supports and advice places they can go to to get help.

Conclusion The most common question people don’t ask but want to know when it comes to domestic violence is why do they stay? This question has not been answered throughout this project but one line I did read that came close was ‘no-one knows why because all relationships are unique’. Only those who are in the relationship can help themselves. Another thing I noticed is there were no orgs for the men who are violent. If they are helped, other men can see they are doing wrong too?

Sources www.feminist.org/other/dv/dvhome www.womensaid.org.uk www.nspcc.org.uk www.family200.org.uk/domestic_violence www.bbc.co.uk/health/hh www.homeoffice.gov.uk www.frontierhealth.org/lifematters