Intimate Partner Violence

2091 Words9 Pages
Intimate partner violence (IPV) in America occurs daily in epidemic proportions. IPV is a real medical issue. The victim’s medical complaints run the gambit of secondary symptoms such hypertension to obvious signs like broken bones. It is always difficult to ascertain how many women are being victimized because intimate partner violence is in the top ten underreported crimes. There are some situations where women are the perpetrators of the abuse and men are the victims, but usually clinicians only see women seeking treatment for abuse. The US Department of Justice estimates that women are up to eight times more likely than men to be victimized by an intimate partner. Nurses play a very important role in identifying and treating the victims of intimate partner violence. Intimate partner violence is summarily defined as an ongoing pattern of domination and control perpetrated against an intimate partner through a culmination of physical violence, sexual assault, and/or psychological abuse. The abuser’s ultimate goal is to establish control over their victims. “IPV extends across social, religious, economical, geographical, and cultural groups.” ( ) Abusers use physical violence to hurt and shame their victims. The abused person looses their self confidence and self esteem. The abuser usually keeps his victim isolated from people who care about them, especially friends and family. The abuser uses other tactics of control such as sexual abuse, verbal intimidation and threats, mockery, and humiliation, stalking, monitoring the victim’s activities, and controlling their access to money, education, and jobs. Emotional withdrawal, threats of abandonment, and threats to harm or take away children are also powerful tactics of coercion and control. Intimate partner violence is often characterized as a type of archetypical abnormal behavioral function. Love is
Open Document