| An abuse exists when a more powerful person takes | | | | partners against females although there are instances |
| advantage of a weaker person; domestic violence is | | | | where the female is the aggressor. It is the most |
| a form of abuse in which a more powerful partner | | | | degrading form of domestic violence and it costs the |
| tries to assert control over the other using different | | | | State a lot in terms of resources deployed in |
| means. The following are some of the ways through | | | | preventing it. Jane O’Reilly in an article titled |
| which one partner may want to exert control over | | | | Wife Beating: The Silent Crime published in the Time |
| another: | | | | issue of 5th September 1983,page 23 wrote, |
| Verbal Abuse In verbal abuse, language is the | | | | “Nearly 6 million wives will be abused by their |
| weapon of aggression; it is used to hurt the partner | | | | husbands in any one year. Some 2,000 to 4,000 |
| through spoken words or in written form including | | | | women are beaten to death annually. The |
| abusive text messages. Verbal abuse aims at | | | | nation’s police spend one third of their time |
| damaging a person’s self-esteem, self worth and | | | | responding to domestic violence calls.” Battery is |
| emotional well-being to the extent that it eventually | | | | the single major cause of injury to women more |
| takes a toll on the victim’s physical and mental | | | | significant than accidents, rapes or muggings. |
| well being. According to Wikipedia, verbal abuse | | | | Emotional or Psychological Abuse Like the other |
| includes scolding, bullying, defaming, defining, | | | | abuses, it is motivated by urges for power and |
| trivializing, harassing, interrogating, accusing, blaming, | | | | control. The goal is to systematically diminish the |
| countering, lying, berating, taunting, putting down, | | | | partner to the extent that the partner loses his/her |
| discounting, threatening, name-calling, yelling and | | | | self confidence and now yields his/her self to the |
| raging. | | | | control of the partner. A partner may engage in |
| Verbal abuse is the most common form of abuse | | | | emotionally abusing the mate deliberately or |
| and women are often as guilty as men in this vice. It | | | | subconsciously and it may go on for a long period or |
| impairs the dignity as well as reduces the self | | | | could be periodic. The US Department of Justice |
| confidence of the victim thus making him/her easier | | | | defines emotionally abusive traits as including causing |
| to control. Verbal abuse creates a negative | | | | fear by intimidation, threatening physical harm to self, |
| environment of self doubt, which makes the victim | | | | partner, children or partner’s family or friends, |
| develop an inferiority complex; it usually increases in | | | | destruction of pets and property, forcing isolation |
| intensity and may lead to physical assault if left | | | | from family, friends, school or work. It may include |
| unchecked. A lot of persons who engage in verbal | | | | being yelled/shouted at, spoken to rudely, name |
| abuse feel inferior in their persons and so try to | | | | calling such as you cow, stupid, liar and rejection. The |
| transmit such feelings to their victims. | | | | abuser may choose to treat the mate as a servant, |
| Physical Abuse This is the most violent form of | | | | and make all the big decisions without any recourse |
| abuse in which the abuser inflicts pain or injury on the | | | | to him/her. |
| victim through such despicable acts like slapping, | | | | Psychological abuse is perhaps the most reliable |
| kicking, boxing, pulling hair, shoving, biting, choking, | | | | predictor of a partner’s likelihood of engaging in |
| beating with belt, hitting and twisting of arms. The | | | | physical aggression in marriage. |
| abusive incidents may be occasional or regular and | | | | Economic Abuse A partner uses economic blockade |
| may start with verbal altercation that leads to a | | | | to gain control of the mate. The man may prevent |
| tension-building phase which results in beating. The | | | | the wife from seeking gainful employment so that |
| assault is often followed by a period of calm during | | | | she would be forced to ask for money for her |
| which the abuser feigns remorse and tries to placate | | | | needs. She has to do the husband’s bidding or |
| the victim. Attitude to physical abuse varies; at the | | | | else she would not get any money. Some men collect |
| beginning of a misunderstanding, some victims may | | | | their wives paycheck or make them operate a |
| choose to be quiet so that a fight may be averted | | | | common purse which the man controls. He makes |
| while some others may choose to bring on the | | | | the woman believe that submitting her money is an |
| violence so as to “get it over with.” | | | | act of submission which Christian marriage demands. |
| Physical abuse is commonly perpetrated by male | | | | |