INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE (IVP) Lecture 7 Susantha Rasnayake Let’s watch the video •https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiF9ays47EI • •What type of abuse have you encountered from the video •What are the reasons for intimate partner violence •What are the possible interventions?????? • 2 What is Intimate Partner Violence? • Intimate partner violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in an intimate relationship where one partner tries to control and dominate the other. The behavior may be verbally, psychologically, physically or sexually, financially or technologically abusive with the victim left feeling scared, confused, dependent and insecure. §Partner may be the current or former or spouse § Can occur among heterosexual or same-sex couples and does not require sexual intimacy §More commonly- women at the hands of men • • • Key Facts •IPV is a major public health problems and a violation of women's human rights. •WHO indicates that globally about 1 in 3 (30%) of women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual IVP or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. •Worldwide, almost one third (27%) of women aged 15-49 years who have been in a relationship report that they have been subjected to some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner. • 4 Regional information •The prevalence estimates of lifetime IVP range from 20% in the Western Pacific •22% in high-income countries and Europe •25% in the WHO Regions of the Americas •to 33% in the WHO African region •31% in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region •33% in the WHO South-East Asia region. • > C:\Users\DFLEIT~1\AppData\Local\Temp\iStock_000021832731XSmall.jpg Methods of Control • •Physical abuse: • •Hitting, pushing •Shoving, slapping, punching •Holding or restraining •Strangling, choking •Inflicting bruises •Welts and lacerations •Dragging, pulling by hair •Restraining •Marking, branding • • • • • > C:\Users\DFLEIT~1\AppData\Local\Temp\iStock_000019271899Small.jpg Methods of Control • •Emotional abuse: • •Threatening, intimidation •Humiliation •Extreme jealousy/possessiveness •Threatening acts of violence •Constant criticizing •Insulting and belittling •Ignoring or dismissing the victim •Denying, minimizing and blaming •Invading privacy • • •Sexual abuse: • •Coercing victim to have sex •Making victim watch pornographic movies •Sexually transmitted diseases •Demanding sexual photos •Using date rape drugs •Sabotaging birth control • • > Methods of Control • •Financial abuse: • •Withholding money •Pushing to stay at home •No access to bank accounts/ATM and credit cards •Ruining victim’s credit •Taking paycheck •Gambling • • • • > Methods of Control • •Technology abuse: • •Tracking location •Demanding check-ins •Excessive texts •Spyware •Monitoring communications •Posting on Facebook and • social media • • • • • • > C:\Users\DFLEIT~1\AppData\Local\Temp\iStock_000029406270Small.jpg Methods of Control > • •Legal abuse: • •Constant threats to gain custody of children •Excessive filing of motions at court •Using parental rights to contact victim •Avoiding access to legal support • • • • • Methods of Control Factors associated with intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women •Risk factors for both intimate partner and sexual violence include: •lower levels of education (perpetration of sexual violence and experience of sexual violence) •a history of exposure to child maltreatment (perpetration and experience) •witnessing family violence (perpetration and experience) •antisocial personality disorder (perpetration) •harmful use of alcohol (perpetration and experience) •harmful masculine behaviours, including having multiple partners or attitudes that condone violence (perpetration) •community norms that privilege or ascribe higher status to men and lower status to women •low levels of women’s access to paid employment •low level of gender equality (discriminatory laws, etc.). Factors specifically associated with intimate partner violence include: •past history of exposure to violence •marital discord and dissatisfaction •difficulties in communicating between partners •male controlling behaviours towards their partners • Factors specifically associated with sexual violence perpetration include: •beliefs in family honour and sexual purity •ideologies of male sexual entitlement •weak legal sanctions for sexual violence • “Why does she/he stay?” •Hope that things will get better •Disappointing friends, family or community •Lack of resources to care for self or child(ren) •Religious or cultural beliefs •Immigration Status •Belief that they can keep themselves and child(ren) safe •Fear of being hurt or killed 15 Health Consequences •Intimate partner and sexual violence cause serious short- and long-term physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health problems for women. •They also affect their children’s health and wellbeing. •This violence leads to high social and economic costs for women, their families and societies. Such violence can: •Increase the risk of homicide or suicide. •Lead to injuries •Lead to unintended pregnancies, induced abortions, gynaecological problems, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV •violence in pregnancy also increases the likelihood of miscarriage, dead fetus, pre-term delivery and low birth weight babies •Health effects can also include headaches, pain syndromes (back pain, abdominal pain, chronic pelvic pain) gastrointestinal disorders, limited mobility and poor overall health. • • Your inner feelings and thoughts •Do you: ·feel afraid of your partner much of the time? ·avoid certain topics out of fear of angering your partner? ·feel that you can’t do anything right for your partner? ·believe that you deserve to be hurt or mistreated? ·wonder if you’re the one who is crazy? •feel emotionally numb or helpless? Your partner’s belittling behaviour •Does your partner: ·humiliate or yell at you? ·criticize you and put you down? ·treat you so badly that you’re embarrassed for your friends or family to see? ·ignore or put down your opinions or accomplishments? ·blame you for their own abusive behavior? •see you as property or a sex object, rather than as a person? Your partner’s violent or threatening behaviour ·have a bad and unpredictable temper? ·hurt you, or threaten to hurt or kill you? ·threaten to take your children away or harm them? ·threaten to commit suicide if you leave? ·force you to have sex? ·destroy your belongings? Can men be victims of intimate partner violence? What does Czech society say about the role of men in relationships? What do you think are barriers for men getting help? Are you aware of services for victims who are men? Can Men be Victims of Domestic Violence? •Abuse of men happens far more often than is generally believed and occurs in straight and same-sex relationships. •It happens to men from all cultures regardless of age or occupation. •About 15% of intimate partner violence are male •But that is probably an under-estimate • When a man is the victim of abuse in a straight relationship •Tendency to expect and assume that the man is the perpetrator of abuse. •The victim himself may buy into this belief and also feel confused •In both straight and gay relationships: •It is common for the one being abused to act out verbally or physically against the abuser in defense during conflicts. •The abuser may use such incidents as proof that the other is the abusive partner. Difficult to recognize intimate partner violence against men • •If one is unsure… •Take a step back and examine larger patterns in the relationship. •Consider the known signs of intimate partner violence. •In an abusive relationship, the person who routinely uses these behaviors is the abuser. •The person on the receiving end is being abused. • •Men in an abusive relationship need to know that they are not alone. • • • • Why Don’t Men Report? •They feel embarrassed •They fear they won’t be believed •They are scared that their partner will take revenge •Men are told to fight back •They are ridiculed for “accepting” or “allowing” the abuse Violence in relationships that are gay or transgender •The abusive partner may: • •Threaten that authorities won't help a gay or transgender person •Emphasize that leaving the relationship means admitting that gay or transgender relationships are deviant •Justify abuse by accusing one of not being truly gay or transgender •Say that men are naturally violent •Threaten to tell friends, family, colleagues, or community members about the other partner’s sexual orientation or gender identity • • It is difficult to leave an abusive relationship, and actually leaving will be one of the strongest things they will ever do Steps to Leaving Prevention and Response ØRelationship skills strengthening ØEmpowerment of women ØServices ensured ØPoverty reduced ØEnabling environments (schools, workplaces, public spaces) created ØChild and adolescent abuse prevented ØTransformed attitudes, beliefs and norms.