Physical and emotional abuse has been going on as long as there have been relationships between humans, whether those relationships are between romantic partners, parents and children, or any other family members or friends or acquaintances. Only recently in history, has the law allowed for the law and medical professionals to step in to help those suffering from domestic abuse, otherwise known as intimate partner abuse (Dryden-Edwards, 2007). This paper will examine domestic abuse, first defining it and discussing its prevalence, then examining different aspects of it, why people remain in abusive relationships, and what can be done to help people who are experiencing domestic abuse.
Domestic abuse is when there is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another through fear, attack and intimidation. Basically, when one person sees that they have power over another and decides to abuse that power over another person physically, psychologically, or emotionally, that is abuse. Dryden-Edwards defines domestic abuse, or intimate partner abuse, as any maltreatment that may happen between romantic partners, be they heterosexual, homosexual, teenagers, adults, or the elderly. Domestic abuse affects people in all social, racial, economic, and ethnic groups, whether gay, straight, living together, dating, married or divorced, and young or old. However, "risk factors for men or women becoming victims or abusers include poverty, lack of a high school education, witnessing family violence as a child, and attitudes of male domination and substance abuse, especially alcohol abuse" (Dryden-Edwards, 2007, p. 6). Abuse can include "physical, verbal (also called emotional, mental, or psychological abuse), sexual, economic/financial, and spiritual abuse. Stalking and cyber-stalking are also forms of intimate partner abuse" (Dryden-Edwards, 2007, p. 1). Abusive actions can also include robberies, rape, and ultima...