Domestic violence is one of the most serious in society. Many people misunderstood domestic violence can consider it only physical harassment of other people. Therefore, in the United States, less than 1% of cases are registered for domestic violence. Whereas, approximately 10-35% of people facing domestic violence at some point in time, and majority of them are women.
What is domestic violence?
Domestic violence is not only physical violence but can also be controlling or gaining other person powers. The Petitioner can be a spouse, partner, girl/boyfriend, or another intimate family member who is a victim of abuse in physical and non-physical forms. Some of the other cases involved in domestic violence are sexual battery, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, sexual assault, or false imprisonment or can be a threat for the death of any family member. If you are a victim of abuse, consider speaking with a Domestic Violence Lawyer for advice.
Who can claim domestic violence?
Anyone who is suffering from a physical or non-physical threat in blood or marriage relation can file a case against others. But for these you have to prove two important things:
- The respondent is a member of a family-like spouse, a former spouse, a person with whom you have a common child, or someone residing as a family in the past.
- The respondent must have physically battered or assaulted, stalked, battered, or falsely imprisoned you.
What are the different types of domestic violence?
Apart from visible injuries, there are a number of categories where a person can claim for domestic violence. Knowledge about these can help the victim from becoming a victim of domestic violence:
- Control
Controlling involves commanding and keeping eyes on others from every aspect. These could be:
- Restriction to walk freely
- Checking and recording phone calls
- Monitoring vehicles odometers to know traveling distance
- Calling home unexpectedly to check whether the victim is at home or not.
- Harming victim privacy and not allowing to spend “me time”.
- Forcing to accomplish certain tasks without consent
- Using children to control victims by threatening for the hurting, killing, or kidnaping the children.
- Not allowing another person to choose their clothes or hairstyle. Even asking to wear specific clothes in which he/she may not be comfortable.
- Physical Abuse
Physical abuse means harming the other person with visible signs. The victim can file a case under the following situations:
- A victim gets injury or threat to injury to their loved ones like pets, children, or other special property.
- When the person controls basic needs like food shelter or clothes. Locking the victim in the house is also a part of domestic violence.
- Not providing adequate assistance in case a person is sick or injured.
- Throwing signs of anger, damaging property, kicking doors are also covered under domestic violence.
- Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse involves:
- Forcing the intimate victim without consent especially in case a person is drunk, disabled, drugged, asleep, minor or senior citizen.
- Making a sexual relationship in a non-consensual form, it may include unwanted touching.
- Refusing to use birth control measures
- Making offensive statements, Laughing at other body shapes, or can be calling a person with other offensive languages.
- Taunting someone for having an affair with another person.
You can also take advice from experts at https://www.fighterlaw.com/practice-areas/criminal-defense/injunctions/ sexual assault counselor can help you to make safe decisions. You are suggested to provide detailed information about the risks you face.
3. Emotional Abuse & Intimidation
Emotional Abuse & Intimidation as domestic violence involves:
- Insulting the victim and harming his/her self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth.
- Ignoring and neglecting the basic needs of the victim
- Giving drugs, alcohol, or other harmful material to victims forcefully.
- Misbehaving with the victim in front of society, or making crazy statements against the victim to demoralize.
- Conducting emotional threats like killing the victim, his/her lovable, or both.
- Manipulating statements to confuse the victim
- Forcing or not allowing people to participate in community events or religious gatherings without the victim’s consent.
- Isolation
Isolation is a form of violence where a person controls others for what they are doing, setting standard norms for the goal or task achievement, abusing in public or in private. Hence, it lets the person alone without having external or internal resources that motivate him/her for a change. Many times, the victim also keep himself isolated to hide visible injuries in family, friend, or other social groups. They always have a fear of public humiliation. As a result, it affects a person’s mental and physical growth that leads to a serious crime under the eyes of the law.
- Verbal Abuse
It included Coercion, Threats, & Blame to the victim by others. The victim can be threatened by a person by killing or harming children, family, or their reputation, in case of non-fulfillment of certain conditions. Verbal abuse involves calling a person other offensive names or commenting on beauty or mental ability. Refusing to talk and screaming is also part of oral abuse and a serious offense for domestic violence.
- Economic Abuse
Economic abuse involves controlling the financial needs of family members and keeping all incomes. Keeping income as a secret, allowing a person to spend a fixed amount or asking to answer for every penny spend. Another reason could be forcing the victim to a job or leave the current job and keeping all earnings under his control.
How to deal with domestic violence?
Domestic violence is a great matter of concern. If the person is injured physically, the first step is to make a call to emergency medical helpline numbers. They provide you medical aid. After that do not be afraid to hire an attorney who can help you to take out this issue. Many times attorney help you to resolve issues over the table with mutual consent.
Summary!
Hiding domestic violence means you are motivating the other for commanding your life. Therefore, it’s good to stop others at the beginning of domestic violence. But, if you are not sure whether it is domestic violence or not, then it’s good to take advice from legal professionals. The attorney will suggest to you how you can file a case under injunction.
