Domestic Violence as a Human Right Issue

Domestic violence is popular as domestic abuse, intimate partner violence, spousal abuse, or family violence. The behavior involves brutality or another abuse by one person in a domestic behavioral context where people rise against others in marriages or similar unions. The intimate partner causes violence to their spouses making it domestic violence. Spouses and partners within intimate relationships are expected to live in harmony without elements of discomfort. Domestic violence takes place where heterosexual and same-sex relationships are involved (Edelson, 2011). The issue of domestic violence takes various forms such as physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, and economic abuse ranging from subtle to coercive forms of marital rape and violent physical abuse resulting in death or disfigurement (Tolman, 2010).

Domestic violence occurs where abusers believe that their actions are justified and acceptable. The implication is that there is production of intergenerational abuse cycles of condoning violence. Perception, awareness, documentation, and definition of domestic violence are widely different from one country to another (Breines & Gorden, 2013). There are abuse cycles in which tensions arise while actions of violence are committed together with periods of calm and reconciliation. The victims are trapped in violent situations because on isolation, control, and power, fear, insufficient financial resources, shame or need to protect one's children (Ehrensaft & Vivian, 2009). The outcomes of the abuse include victims experiencing physical disabilities, limited finances, mental illness, chronic health problems, and inability to generate sustainable and healthy relationships. Victims experience elements of post-traumatic stress disorders (Locke & Richman, 2011). Kids living in households with intense violence illustrate aspects of aggression irregular levels between early ages that contribute to a continued legacy of abuse in their adulthood. Domestic violence happens where there are elements of child and forced marriage (Garbarino & Sherman, 2011).

Critics mention that gender-based approaches to domestic violence have a heavily focused on women as the only victims. Men also suffer! Past reviews acknowledge that the domestic violence definition requires mainstream view and define partner abuse in a broader context as including emotional abuse, all forms of hitting, and people who hit first (Peled, 2013). Further, there is a weak correlation between a nation's gender inequality level and domestic violence rates as research illustrates that in case people focus on those with physical harm and those with serious expression of fear results in psychological problems (Visconti, Sechler, & Kochenderfer-Ladd, 2013). Such aspects include abuse and domestic violence with significant engendering where women suffer most. However, the broader paradigm endorses that partner abuse is not conceived to be a mere gender problem. However, it is a primary concept of relational and human problems that are framed along the concerned measures (Holden & Ritchie, 2011).

Domestic violence has the potential of triggering different responses among victims where there is relevant professional working for victims. Critical domestic violence victimization consequences include psychological and mental health issues coupled with chronic problems of physical health (Martin, Mackie, Kupper & Moracco, 2011). In most cases, children coming from such abusive households display tendencies of guilt, depression/anxiety, anger, nightmares, irritability, shyness, disruptiveness, and issues living in harmony with others (Perilla, 2012). Even though, there is a controversial element of abuse for the effects of experience and witnessing the loved ones under abused, the scenes take tolls on them. Domestic violence passes on knowledge of poor family structures (Lowe, Humphreys, & Williams, 2010).