Introduction
Domestic violence is a concerning issue within the U.S. wherein statistics show that 1 in every 4 women will encounter some form of domestic violence within their lifetime (Get the Facts, 2014). On average, there are nearly 4 million cases of assault related to this issue yet only a small percentage of such cases truly get prosecuted (Domestic Violence: Statistics & Facts, 2014). Through the analysis of Breiding, Smith, Basile, Walters, Jieru & Merrick (2014), it was noted that immediate intervention is needed in such cases due to the long term psychological and physical damage that can occur over continued exposure to violent altercations at home.
Psychological Issues Related to Intimate Partner Violence
Victimhood
One of the more common attributes of victims of domestic violence are instances where they feel that they deserve the abuse that they are receiving. Hatcher, Colvin, Ndlovu & Dworkin (2014) explain that this often comes about through a lack of self-esteem due to repeated psychological and physical abuse. The end result is that victims start to think that being abused is “normal” and that they merely have to put up with it. Such a state of affairs is further compounded by the social stigma surrounding domestic abuse victims which often results in them refusing to even acknowledge that they are victims.
It is due to this that it is recommended that victims undergo some form of psychological counseling in order to help them deal with their lack of self-esteem and their belief that they deserve the punishment that they are getting. By addressing the emotional turmoil that they are going through, this helps to prevent future cases of depression, anxiety and stress which tends to manifest overtime the longer the abuse occurs.
Physical Issues Related to Intimate Partner Violence
Aside from psychological problems that arise from intimate physical partner violence, it is important to note that the most obvious signs often manifest via external injures. Such injuries often come in the form of trauma to the head (from an object being thrown at the victim), bruising around the face and wrists as well as injuries to knees or ribs as a result of being pushed into objects or downstairs.
While the treatment of these external injuries is actually pretty straightforward, it is important to note that victims of domestic abuse are often reluctant to actually say that they are victims at all. As such, it is often hard for on call nurses to distinguish between simple accidents or people who are actually victims. One of the best ways of doing so though is by identifying people who keep on coming in to the hospital with repeated injuries yet are not in careers or professions that would warrant such cases (ex: construction worker, boxer, etc.) In cases where a potential victim has been identified, it is important to note that directness is often not the best route when it comes to helping such individuals.
As Clark, Allen, Goyal, Raker & Gottlieb (2014) explain, these people often feel ashamed that they are victims of abuse or they fear the repercussions should they tell anyone about what is happening to them. It is due to this that nurses need to be able to assure apparent victims that they are in a safe place and if they need help, there are resources that they can access in order to resolve their problem. What is important is to show that you care without outright discussing the topic which may in fact scare the person off.
Impact on Infants
Based on the observations of Yount, VanderEnde, Zureick-Brown, Anh, Schuler & Minh (2014), it was noted that the impact of intimate partner violence on infants often manifest in abuse or neglect involving 30 to 60 percent of cases with women that have infants. This at times manifested in malnutrition, bacterial infections due to a lack of care, frequent sickness as well as marks of physical abuse that are often causes by the parent either gripping the child too hard, holding them the wrong way or shaking them in order to keep them quiet. This often results in minor to severe physical trauma which can be life threatening if unaddressed in the long term.
It is important to note that the adverse effect of intimate partner violence on infants is merely a byproduct of the abuse received by the victim (i.e. the partner being abused) (Taft, Small, Humphreys, Hegarty, Walter, Adams & Agius, 2012). Normally, it is not the intention of the victim to abuse the child, rather, the stress, anxiety and fear that were mentioned earlier manifest in such a way that it causes the abuse and neglect of the infant in question.
Treatment procedures for such cases often involve an evaluation of the current health of the infant both from a nutritional and physical standpoint. Deficiencies in immune system health and nutrition are addressed through external supplementation and physical ailments that are identified are immediately presented to the required specialist. Fortunately, infants tend to recover quickly and there is little, if any, long term psychological damage that comes from their exposure to such an experience.
Reference List
Breiding, M. J., Smith, S. G., Basile, K. C., Walters, M. L., Jieru, C., & Merrick, M. T. (2014). Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Violence, Stalking, and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization — National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, United States, 2011. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 63(8), 1-18.
Clark, L. E., Allen, R. H., Goyal, V., Raker, C., & Gottlieb, A. S. (2014). Reproductive coercion and co-occurring intimate partner violence in obstetrics and gynecology patients. American Journal Of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 210(1), 42.
Domestic Violence: Statistics & Facts. (2014). Web.
Get the Facts. (2014). Web.
Hatcher, A. M., Colvin, C. J., Ndlovu, N., & Dworkin, S. L. (2014). Intimate partner violence among rural South African men: alcohol use, sexual decision-making, and partner communication. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 16(9), 1023-1039.
Taft, A. J., Small, R., Humphreys, C., Hegarty, K., Walter, R., Adams, C., & Agius, P. (2012). Enhanced maternal and child health nurse care for women experiencing intimate partner/family violence: protocol for MOVE, a cluster randomised trial of screening and referral in primary health care. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 1-11.
Yount, K., VanderEnde, K., Zureick-Brown, S., Anh, H., Schuler, S., & Minh, T. (2014). Measuring Attitudes About Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: The ATT-IPV Scale. Demography, 51(4), 1551-1572.