Domestic violence

Domestic violence is a form of violence or abuse that happens among people living together in a common household. Very often, such people are married, or they live in a relationship. 

The relationship or marriage may be between people of opposite sex (a man and a woman), but it can also be among people of the same sex. There can also be children in the household.  

Violence between adult partners of a relationship is the most common type of domestic violence. There are also violent acts of adults against children, of children against adults, and violence against elderly people. 

The exact definitions of what is domestic violence vary by country. In general though, the legal definitions only include the acts, and their punishment. People from sociology and psychology also look at the motivations (why the person became violent).  

Like other forms of violence, domestic violence often has a repeating pattern, known as cycle of violence, or cycle of abuse. If violence is unreported, it may get worse over time.  

The person becoming violent often wants to get more power and more control over another person. When the cycle of violence starts people are said to be losing their temper. 

Domestic violence can be a cause for becoming homeless. 

Most of the time, the victims of domestic violence are  women. They may experience more severe forms of violence. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 1 in 3 of all women are subject to domestic violence at some point in their life. Women are also more likely  than men to use intimate partner violence in self-defense.

Some countries do not have good laws covering domestic violence. In these countries domestic violence may be permitted, especially in the case where the woman is suspected of  infidelity. There seems to be a correlation between the level of gender equality, and the level of domestic violence. Countries with less gender equality have higher rates of domestic violence. 

Very often, incidents of domestic violence are not reported; this is true for both men and women. There is a social stigma: Most people believe that women are victims of domestic violence, most of the time. That way, healthcare providers often overlook men who are victims of domestic violence.

 Children 
If we go back a century or two, we find that in some countries, children were often beaten, both at home and at school. Now that is much rarer, and may be forbidden in law. The key term to search for this topic is "corporal punishment".

 Forms 
There are different forms of domestic abuse, not all of which are violent:
 Physical abuse: this usually means physical beating, but sometimes involves other serious actions, such as acid throwing
 Sexual abuse, many forms of rape
 Psychological abuse

 References 

 Related pages 
Cycle of abuse (patterns in relationships where there is domestic violence)
Istanbul Convention
Violence against women
Other websites
Domestic Abuse Advice

Category:Women's rights