No matter how much our world progresses, no matter how many laws are made safeguarding the rights of humans, issues such as that of domestic violence do exist and still prevail even in this modern era of the 21st century. It’s something which has been talked about so often in talk shows, in the media and where not? This happens throughout the country. There are cases every day in every city, every county, and every state throughout the country. Living in Cherokee County, if you happen to be a victim of domestic violence, feel free to contact us and let us take your case.
But first let’s talk about the issue itself.
So what is domestic violence?
Domestic violence, as most people know, is some sort of assault or battery, with one other element and that is that you have some kind of personal relationship with the person that is accusing you of assaulting them or battering them. People that would fit that element would be someone you’ve had a relationship with, someone that is related to you, someone that lives with you or someone who has had a relationship with you.
Domestic violence happens to people in all walks of life regardless of age, gender, race, religion or education. One in three women and one in four men experience some form of domestic violence in their lives either directly by as a victim of abuse or witnessing it as children. If you happen to be going through it, you need to realize that many other people have gone and going through the same adversity. The average age at which domestic violence occurs for the first time for both male and female is between 18 and 24 years. Although it can affect people of any age and even older people also go through it.
Major Misconception about Domestic Violence
A major misconception that most people have is that domestic violence always involves physical bodily harm, often it does involve physical violence, but it frequently also involves emotional abuse as well as economic and spiritual abuse. Some of these forms of abuse which includes name calling, threats, possessiveness, distrust, or countless other tactics could be more difficult to detect because they don’t leave any marks , bruises or scars and also they may be down played by the abuser or the victim as well as those who are around them.
If you speak with people who have endured abuse, more often than not they will tell you that the relationship started off well, or their abuser was perfectly charming outside the relationship, acts that start out as harmless or seemingly gratifying, like wanting their victim to spend all of their time only with them, because of their affection for them, this can morph into abuse. The frequency and intensity of the abuse may vary, and it may include the abuser apologizing profusely for their actions, or to convince their victims of their utmost affection for them, or they just lost control over themselves temporarily, however, power and control always intensify over time, irrespective of any apologies it escalates into physical abuse which can frequently become more violent.
Do Other Factors Play A Role?
It can be difficult to understand why someone abuses someone else. Is it anger management issues? Is it a mental illness? Childhood exposure to domestic violence… Or alcohol or drug use that causes someone to abuse? It is not.
Instead, abuse is caused by a specific individual who believes that he or she has all the rights over their partner and they somehow or the other believe that abuse is justified. Chances of an abuser curtailing or mending down their behavior is extremely low. Domestic abuser along with the victim affects family, friends, coworkers, witnesses, and community, Children that grow up watching domestic violence, it leaves a lasting image on their minds, and they are the ones who are impacted the most. According to a study, it has been found that frequent exposure to violence predisposes children to numerous social and physical problems. It teaches children that violence is a normal way of life. Increasing their chances of becoming the societies next generation of victims and abusers.
False Allegations in Domestic Violence
It’s very easy to be arrested for domestic violence. There are a lot of cases around the country where someone picks up a phone, calls 911 and makes a significant allegation that their significant other has hit them or have done any sort of physical harm to them and the police shows up and that person is arrested, without ever hearing their side of the story. Though this happens rarely.
In General, due to whatever reason, there is a lot of motivation for people to accuse each other of domestic violence. In order to gain around or batter themselves when no domestic violence actually occurred. There are so many parameters that go in to domestic violence. There are so many underlying things that need to be addressed. Sometimes it’s a neighbor next door and they hear an argument and call the police, sometimes it’s an overly zealous police officer who’s out on a domestic violence charge hunt and he will arrest anyone just for the sake of it.
Common effects of domestic violence on mental health
1. PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
It is mental disorder in which people have bursts of anxiety and stress related caused by life threatening events such as military warfare, terrorist attack or in this case, domestic violence, which can have a major impact on the lives of victims.
2. Anxiety Disorders
Other anxiety disorders such as panic disorders, OCD and generalized anxiety disorder. The victims of domestic violence are in such a fragile state that normal everyday routine may not even be feasible to them.
3. Depression
The victims more often go into some form of depression in which they would tend to repeatedly think about the painful moments and events from the past. They would spend countless hours thinking nothing except their traumatic experience.
4. Substance Abuse
People who go through abuse may develop some sort of substance addiction which would provide them an escape route from all their negative and unsettling thoughts. These people need to be taken care of the most.
For those struggling with an abuser, the good news is that there are tremendous number of resources available to help you, and one of those resources is hiring your family lawyer right away. Indeed there are thousands of domestic violence shelters and NGOs all over but to have your rights be safeguarded, getting the best lawyer in Cherokee County right away would be the best option after all.
Domestic violence, unfortunately, is prevalent in the society, and while many people simply do not speak up, some just don’t know what step to take next. What we should tell them is to “have your rights safeguarded, fight for yourself” and most importantly “You are not alone.”