Intimate Partner Abuse

Intimate partner abuse, elder abuse, and victimization of special populations are all issues that need attention in the Human Service field. This paper will explore the issues associated with intimate partner abuse, how the issues regarding intimate partner abuse has changed over time, and the role the criminal justice system plays in protecting abuse towards intimate partners. This paper will also examine the reasons elder abuse exists as well as the extent, types, and theories associated with elder abuse. Types of victimization special populations’ experience in society will also be addressed.

Intimate Partner Abuse

        Intimate partner abuse has no clear definition, but can be described as an intentional act to inflict harm. There are different types of intimate partner abuse; physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. There are many factors that contribute to physical intimate partner abuse. Some of these factors include stress, alcohol use, pregnancy, and marriage.  Stress can contribute to intimate partner abuse but has not been proven to be a direct cause. When extremely stressful situations arise, the abusive partner may find it liberating to let out his/her frustrations by hitting his/her partner. When alcohol is present, the risk of intimate partner violence increases tremendously. Because alcohol decreases a person’s inhibitions, the abusive intimate partner may exhibit violent tendencies towards his/her partner out of habit or preconditioning. Alcohol may also provide the abuser with an excuse for his actions; “I was drunk, I did not realize what I was doing.”

The correlation between intimate partner violence and pregnancy is intimate partner violence occurs more often in younger women who are pregnant than older women who are not. It could be possibly because when a woman is pregnant she is more vulnerable and less able to defend herself and her unborn child. Marriage also contributes and increases intimae partner violence. Once a couple gets married, it’s as if the abuser has a license to hit. The binding document makes it harder for the victim to leave.

Emotional abuse is also a factor in intimate partner abuse. The victim is often verbally abused to the point where they feel dehumanized. This is done by the abuser to gain mental control of the victim. Sexual abuse is rarely reported with intimate partner abuse. The common misconception that a person cannot be raped because they are in a relationship is often the mindset of the victim, however that is not at all true. Victims are often forced to engage in sexual acts with their partners against their will.

There are many reasons why victims stay in relationships with their abusers. Some of these reasons include fear, dependency, culture and preconditioning. Some victims fear for their lives and the thought of leaving their spouse or partner is unheard of. In some cases, the abuser is often the sole provider and the option to leave is not available. These victims are slowly isolated from their family and friends and brainwashed and belittled. In some cultures, it is against the religion to divorce, therefore making it impossible to leave an abusive partner. In other cases, some people are preconditioned and believe that abuse is normal because that is the environment they grew up in. Before, people were more understanding of intimate partner because of the gender roles, now the laws are stricter and protect both men and women from intimate partner violence. Hopefully the stricter laws will not only deter the perpetrators, but also encourage more victims to report the violence.