OxScience

Intrafamily Violence and Abuse To begin to refer to domestic violence and abuse, we must first define the concept of violence in its broad and first form, since it will be the one that we will use as a reference to define the different classifications of violence.

• Violence needs a victim and a victimizer. Beyond the physical aggression caused, violence can leave emotional consequences in the person in which it is generated, as well as physical consequences.

INTRAFAMILY VIOLENCE: This kind of violence takes place within the family. It is usually a common variant of violence, although few facts are reported out of fear or shame.

• There are different ways of exercising this type of violence, either by isolating the individual, intimidating him, accusing, denying, threatening or physically and emotionally abusing one or more family members.

Classification of domestic violence

Within the various ways in which domestic violence can develop, there are subdivisions that talk about the recipient of the assault and who is the one who causes it. Furthermore, depending on the abuse used, we can also classify it.

Physical violence: The victimizer uses fear and aggression, thus paralyzing his victim and causing bodily harm, either with blows or objects, both found on the spot or specially brought. In most cases of domestic violence, parents are those responsible for promoting this type of abuse and, although they are the least, cases have also been observed in which it is the woman who beats her children and their husbands. Some experts have highlighted that physical abuse is strictly related to emotional or psychological abuse.

Sexual violence: We highlight the cases in which the victimizer requires the victim ( depriving her of her freedom ) to have sexual relations or some contact of this nature, without the consent of the other party. In general, the aggressor aims to offend and dominate the other person, and within this classification, we can find the following types of sexual violence:

• Incest, for example, is that type of sexual relationship in which people who share or descend from the same blood conceive a relationship with the consent of both parties, in whatever way that such conviction takes place.
• Sexual abuse occurs when the individual demands that another satisfy their needs in the sexual field, be it by exposing their genitals or touching their bodies without their consent. This type of abuse can occur anywhere, not just within the family. The violation itself is carried out when the victim refuses to be penetrated, either by the victimizer, objects or parts of the body of the victim; either through the vagina, the anus or the oral cavity. This fact takes place in an area of ​​fear, which aims to prevent the victim from making the corresponding complaint, even more so if it is a family member who is the victimizer.

Emotional violence: As its name implies, it hurts emotions; that is, through humiliation, insults, threats and/or prohibitions, the victimizer injures a member of his family. This generates in the victim a feeling of insecurity that is directly reflected in self-esteem, as well as in those who suffer it firsthand, as in those who witness this type of violence. The aggressor usually emotionally manipulates the victims, wanting to show himself as a protector and then continue to proceed in a violent way.

Economic violence: A subject can cause an imbalance in the victim, accusing a higher financial income or taking advantage of that situation, to impose sanctions or remove material goods. Economic violence is also considered when the husband does not want his wife to work or vice versa, even without her consent. This type of violence, perhaps, is more visible than physical violence, since these threats, insults offenses are carried out both privately and publicly.

Types of abuse

1. Child violence, for example, is a constants abuse of the little ones in the house and within it two groups can be distinguished:
   • The active violence is one in which the child is abused sexually, physically or emotionally.
   • The passive violence occurs when performed abandonment of person and this can be both physical and emotional. Passive violence is also considered to be those children who witness domestic violence.
2. Conjugal violence, is that type of violence caused in romantic relationships. Within this, we find mistreatment of women or gender violence, which includes both physical, as well as emotional, sexual or economic abuse. The cross – violence is the kind of violence that is done mutually and can also be physical emotional, sexual or economic way.
3. Abuse of men, which is usually caused by women, although it is in fewer cases, and is carried out physically, emotionally, economically or sexually.
4. Abuse of the elderly; just as women are considered the weaker sex, the elderly and children are considered to be the weaker age group, and therefore abuse of the elderly is also possible within the family.

Gender violence

Unfortunately, in these times, there are more and more cases related to violence against women. There are even societies in the world even where women are forced to marry a man who chooses them or, worse still, buys them. While it is a tradition in the eastern world, within the western world this is a form of violence against the female gender.

The gender violence against women has acquired great presence in the mass media and in every-day life of society. And this type of violence occurs against women because they are considered weaker.

Any type of the aforementioned cases of violence must be reported, so that those who promote this mistreatment and emotional abuse can be captured, not only to protect oneself, but also to be an example against future cases of violence from gender.