Speak Out: Be Heard!

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Research

Introduction for Research Dossier:

We are a group of students from Middlesex university. We have formed a campaign called 'Speak Out: Be Heard' to raise awareness of domestic violence amongst youth. We believe that there is not enough information being given to today's youth about the first signs and effects of domestic violence, therefore they are at risk by not being educated about it. 'Speak Out: Be Heard' are pressing now because the level of teenagers being victims of domestic violence is increasing every year. Today, one in four women and one in six men suffer from being victims of domestic violence. We understand that we cannot stop domestic violence from happening, but we would just like to help young people from differentiating domestic violence from love. The public should support us because domestic violence is a huge issue in society and there are not many campaigns that tackle the issue in youth.

Statistics on Domestic Violence:

We have found out that 1 in 4 women will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime, most of them on number of occasions. Almost very minutes one incident of domestic violence are reported to the police every minute. Plus on average, 2 women a week are killed by their male partner, current or former.I have found out that 1 in 4 women will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime, most of them on number of occasions. Almost very minutes one incident of domestic violence are reported to the police every minute. Plus on average, 2 women a week are killed by their male partner, current or former.

Along with women being victims of domestic violence, men are also targeted as victims on a figure in one in six men.

Domestic Violence Under Health Issues

Hi to you all my name is Estelle Oyourou. I am sure many of us hear about domestic violence through television, radio and newspapers. Starting with Rhianna and Chris Brown who were in a domestic violent relationship February 2009 but how much do you think you really know? On average 2 women in England and Wales are killed every week by a current or former partner.
Research estimates it accounts for 16% of all violent crime and will affect 1 in 4 women in their life time.
Domestic violence is a worldwide epidemic and is becoming more and more serious. It violates the fundamental human rights of women and often results in death. Domestic violence has a higher rate of repeat victimization than any other crime. Every minute in the UK 35% of Domestic violence is reported to the police. In 2001-2 British crime survey found that there were an estimated 635,000 incidents of domestic violence in England and Wales. 81% were women and 19% were men.

Other key facts according to the world health organization are they believe that teenage mothers seem to be particularly likely to experience domestic abuse. An American study found that 70% of teenage mothers at one hospital were in a relationship with a violent partner. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIZpBlwq7Qc

· Size of the problem
Domestic violence includes emotional, sexual and economical abuse as well as physical violence.
Emotional abuse to begin with is when an intimate partner has continually criticized you, called you names or shouted at you

· insulted or driven away your friends or family

· humiliated you in private or public

· kept you from working, controlled your money or made all the decisions

· refused to work or to share money

· taken car keys or money from you

· regularly threatened to leave or told you to leave

· threatened to kidnap the children when the abuser was angry with you

· abused pets to hurt you

· manipulated you with lies and contradictions

Physical abuse is when an intimate partner has...
pushed or shoved you

· held you to keep you from leaving

· slapped or bitten you

· kicked or choked you

· hit or punched you

· thrown objects at you

· locked you out of the house

· abandoned you in dangerous places

· refused to help you when you were sick, injured or pregnant

· forced you off the road or driven recklessly

· threatened to hurt you with a weapon

Sexual abuse is when an intimate partner has...

· minimized the importance of your feelings about sex

· criticized you sexually

· insisted on unwanted or uncomfortable touching

· withheld sex and affection

· forced sex after physical abuse or when you were sick

· raped you

· been jealously angry, assuming you would have sex with anyone

· insisted that you dress in a more sexual way than you wanted

These different forms of abuse may occur altogether or on their own. Although in the context of coercive control by one partner over the other usually provoked by jealousy, insecurity and sometimes a unhappy childhood.

Long-term effects of domestic violence on women who have been abused may include:

· anxiety

· chronic depression

· chronic pain

· death

· dehydration

· dissociative states

· drug and alcohol dependence

· eating disorders

· emotional "over-reactions" to stimuli

· general emotional numbing

· health problems

· malnutrition

· panic attacks

· poor adherence to medical recommendations

· poverty

· repeated self-injury

· self neglect

· sexual dysfunction

· sleep disorders

· somatization disorders

· strained family relationships

· suicide attempts

· an inability to adequately respond to the needs of their children.

When describing the effects of domestic violence on children, it is important to note that domestic violence and child abuse are often present in the same families. "In homes where domestic violence occurs, children are physically abused and neglected at a rate 15 times higher than the national average. Several studies have shown that in 60% to 75% of families in which a woman is battered, children are also battered. In addition, children living in households where domestic violence is occurring are at a higher risk for sexual abuse.
The effects of witnessing or experiencing violence at home vary tremendously from one child to another. The attributes that give a child the greatest chance of surviving unscathed are "average or above-average intellectual development with good attention and interpersonal skills.
Many children are forced to grow up faster than their peers, often taking on the responsibility of cooking, cleaning and caring for younger children.
INFANTS AND TODDLERS: Infants and toddlers who witness violence show excessive irritability, sleep disturbances, emotional distress, fears of being alone, and regression in toileting and language. Exposure to trauma, especially family violence, interferes with a child's normal development of trust and later exploratory behaviors, which lead to the development of autonomy.

==TEENS
Being a teenager is difficult, as most of us remember. But being a teenager and living in a house infected with domestic violence can have devastating, life-long effects. The result can be teens who never learn to form trusting, lasting relationships, or teens who end up in violent relationships themselves.
In addition, teens face the same issues as younger children in an abusive family, feeling lonely and isolated, growing up too fast, behavior problems, stress related medical and mental health problems, and school problems. Teenagers are also faced with entering into the dating world for the first time. They are formulating their own theories about relationships, and some may not have the best models on which to base a healthy relationship. They have witnessed the cycle of violence with the abuse, apologies from the perpetrator, tensions building and more abuse. Unfortunately, some teenagers may be faced with a higher risk of being victims of dating violence and as mentioned earlier, ending up in violent relationships as adults either as victims or abusers themselves.== Africa
The experience of using law to address the issue of domestic violence in Africa contains both negative and positive lessons for gender equality campaigners. The phenomenon of violence is only one aspect of the discriminatory practices and equality that women in Africa face. This is most shockingly on display in conditions of war (as in the current conflict in north Kivu province of the democratic republic of Congo) were women have been subjected to systematic assault and abuse.

No one should be afraid to report domestic violence to any authority. Now you are informed with facts and information on domestic violence. Beware be warned don’t fall a victim. Thank you

Sites

Domestic violence site 1

Domestic violence site 2

Domestic violence site 3

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