Intimate partner violence (IPV) becomes an increasingly concerning issue as it may develop in any relationship within all social or economic groups. Even though violence does appear to come from a woman towards a man or in same-sex relationships, in most cases, it is conducted by male intimate partners against females. Intimate partner violence is a specific behavior that may cause physical, sexual, or psychological harm, thus being divided into four categories, namely sexual violence, physical violence, psychological violence, and controlling behaviors (Peterson-Sparks, 2016). The consequences of IPV are destructive and tremendous and require serious steps taken in order to help victims and prevent further violence.
Similar to any other type of aggressive behavior, intimate partner violence may cause serious health damage and lead to safety issues. First, such activity may lead directly to health problems or injuries such as broken bones, head damage, or bruises. In some cases, IPV causes hardly diagnosable physical or psychological disorders, including fibromyalgia and chronic pain syndromes, which appear as a result of constant emotional stress (Kerridge & Tran, 2016).
Second, intimate partner violence destructively affects mental health. IPV is frequently associated with depression and anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse, self-harm, and even suicide. Other possible outcomes include reproductive health damage or miscarriage in case violence is conducted during pregnancy. Finally, IPV negatively affects children, resulting in immune system disorders, psychological trauma, or even the development of similar violent behavior in adulthood. Even though domestic violence aspects correlate with victims’ gender and may have some differences, generally the list of health and safety issues remains the same. However, male victims do tend more to have mental health disorders as a result of IPV, rather than physical consequences such as injuries.
Conclusively, intimate partner violence represents an uprising issue that society must not ignore. Importantly, various mechanisms should be designed on legislative, ethical, and moral levels in order to prevent the incidence of such behavior and provide any necessary assistance to victims. The abovementioned approaches should include reforming legal and criminal frameworks as well as promoting moral and behavior changes aimed at transforming social norms.
References
Kerridge, B. T., & Tran, P. (2016). Husband/partner intoxication and intimate partner violence against women in the Philippines. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 28(6), 507–518. Web.
Peterson-Sparks, E. (2016). Intimate partner violence: Effective procedure, response and policy. Routledge.