Anybody can be a victim of domestic violence: your mother, sister, daughter, grandmother, friend, neighbor, or co-worker. Domestic violence does not discriminate. It crosses all socio-economic, ethnic, racial, educational, age, sexual orientation and religious lines. All women are at risk for becoming victims of domestic violence.
There are no identifiable psychological or character traits that increase an individual's risk of becoming a victim. However, 95% of domestic violence victims are female. Although females make up the majority of victims, males can be victims too.
Studies have found that victims of domestic violence share common behaviors, beliefs and feelings. This pattern is known as the "Battered Women's Syndrome." Many victims experience several to all of the items listed below:
- Have low self-esteem
- Underestimate their abilities
- Assume responsibility for batterer's behavior
- Make excuses for batterer's violence
- Feel isolated, alone, embarrassed and/or ashamed
- Believe in the common battering myths
- Try at great lengths to control and manipulate their behavior and environment so as not to upset batterer
- Fear batterer and believe his/her threats
- Believe batterer's criticisms and put downs
- Deny abuse even to family and friends
- Have ability to withstand enormous amount of pain during battering incident
- Experience fatigue, backaches, headaches, general restlessness, inability to sleep, depression, anxiety and general suspiciousness
- Believe that batterer will change his/her behavior
- Believe in traditional gender roles
<< back
|
CLIENT LOGIN
