Kelsey, Kassie, Jennifer, and Lisa

Physical Violence Against Women

Domestic Violence is…“…any act of gender-based violence that results in,

or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life… a manifestation of historically unequal power relationships between men and women.”As stated by The UN Declaration on the Elimination of

Violence against Women

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR56/009/2006/en/4be3ca80-d3f9-11dd-8743-d305bea2b2c7/eur560092006en.html

Behaviors include:Acts of physical aggression

such as slapping, hitting, kicking and beatingPsychological abuse

such as intimidation, constant belittling and humiliationForced intercourse and other forms of sexual coercionVarious controlling behaviors

such as isolating a person from their family and friends, monitoring their movements, and restricting their access to information or assistance.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR56/009/2006/en/4be3ca80-d3f9-11dd-8743-d305bea2b2c7/eur560092006en.html

Facts on Domestic ViolenceResearch shows that domestic violence occurs in

all groups; whether social, economic, religious or cultural.

Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury and death for women worldwide.Even further, violence against women causes more

death and disability worldwide than war, cancer, malaria or traffic accidents – within the ages of 15-44.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR56/009/2006/en/4be3ca80-d3f9-11dd-8743-d305bea2b2c7/eur560092006en.html

Shocking StatisticsOne in every three women in the world has

experienced sexual, physical, emotional or other abuse in her lifetime.

One in every seven married women worldwide are raped by their spouse. Marital rape accounts for 25% of all rapes.

200,000-300,000 women are trafficked to Europe every year. Within the same year, 2 million girls between the ages

of five and 15 are coerced, abducted, sold or trafficked into the illegal sex market.

Over $7 billion a year is generated from sex-trade trafficking.

http://www.womankind.org.ukstatistics.html

http:/www.stopvaw.org/Prevalence_of_Domestic_Violence.html

Shocking Statistics (Continued)In the United States, approximately 22% of all women

have experienced some form of assault by an intimate partner. Each year, 4.5 million physical assaults are committed

against women by intimate partners.Everyday 6,000 girls undergo female circumcisionEvery year in India, 5000 brides are murdered or

commit suicide because their marriage dowries are considered inadequate

5,000 women in the world are estimated as killed in ‘honor killings’

http://www.womankind.org.ukstatistics.html

http:/www.stopvaw.org/Prevalence_of_Domestic_Violence.html

Long Term Effects Physically:

Chronic pain, bruises, scars, cuts, broken or sprained bonesDehydration or malnutritionHealth problems

Including eating disorders or panic attacksRepeated self injuryDeath

Psychologically: Anxiety or chronic depression Drug and/or alcohol dependence General emotional numbing Emotional “over-reactions” to stimuli Sleep disordershttp://www.findcounseling.com/journal/domestic-violence/domestic-violence-effects.html

 

Long Term Effects (Continued)Other:

PovertySelf neglectStrained family relationshipsSuicide attemptsPoor adherence to medical recommendations Sexual dysfunction An inability to adequately respond to the

needs of their children.

http://www.findcounseling.com/journal/domestic-violence/domestic-violence-effects.html

Effects on the Children“Families under stress produce children under stress.”Domestic violence:

exposes children to numerous social and physical problems and creates an environment of fear

teaches them violence is normal in lifeincreases their risk of being society's next generation of

victims and/or abusersenables children to establish bonds with parentseffects the child's development and can continue into

adulthood

http://www.acadv.org/children.html

http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/domviolence.htm

Dowry DeathsDowry is where the brides parents must give the

groom’s family money or goods so their daughter can marry.Often times after the couple is married the in-laws

keep asking for more. Once the brides family cannot keep give them

anymore they kill the bride; this is a dowry death.Dowry deaths usually happen in the first three

years of marriage and still occur in almost all Indian families.

Sometimes “dowry harassment” occurs which is violence against the bride due to the same reasons, but does not result in a death.

web.ebscohost.com

Dowry Deaths (Continued)Daughters are often considered burdens to their

parents because of dowry, while sons are assets to the families (this can lead to infanticide).

Many times, the people who do the killing are not punished—the conviction rate is less than 1%.There is a punishment of a life sentence for dowry

deaths, but it almost never is carried out.The legal system is very slow and bribes are often

accepted.

web.ebscohost.com

Honor Killings“Hundreds, if not thousands, of women are murdered

by their families each year in the name of family ‘honor.’”Can’t get exact numbers, because the murders are often

unreported, unpunished, and justified in some societies.Has occurred in all of the following countries;

Bangladesh, Great Britain, Brazil, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Pakistan, Morocco, Sweden, Turkey, Uganda, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.

Islamic culture has a deeply rooted belief in their culture that women are meant to be treated like property with no rights.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/02/0212_020212_honorkilling_2.html

Honor Killings (Continued)Honor killings are carried out for a variety of

reasons that bring dishonor to one’s family: Infidelity, pre-marital sex, flirting, or failing to serve

a meal at the right time“Amnesty International has reported on one case

in which a husband murdered his wife based on a dream that she had betrayed him. In Turkey, a young woman's throat was slit in the town square because a love ballad had been dedicated to her over the radio.”

Protection for these women is rare – not many shelters or ways to help them legally

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/02/0212_020212_honorkilling_2.html

Works Cited Definition, Facts and Statistics Websites:

“Prevalence of Domestic Violence.” Stop Violence Against Women Website. 1 February 2006. <http:/www.stopvaw.org/Prevalence_of_Domestic_Violence.html>

“Why Do We Focus On Women? The Proof.” WomanKind Worldwide Website. 12 June 2009. <http://www.womankind.org.ukstatistics.html>

“Georgia: Thousands suffering in silence: Violence against women in the family.” Amnesty International Website. 24 September 2006. <http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR56/009/2006/en/4be3ca80-d3f9-11dd-8743-d305bea2b2c7/eur560092006en.html>

Long Term Effects of Domestic Violence Websites: “Domestic Violence: An Overview.” Find Counseling.com Website.

February 2001. <http://www.findcounseling.com/journal/domestic-violence/domestic-violence-effects.html>

Effects on Children Websites: "About Domestic Violence." USDOJ: Office on Violence Against

Women. 2009. 17 Jun 2009 <http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/domviolence.htm>.

Boulder County Safehouse, "Children and the Effects of Domestic Violence." ACADV. Spring 200. 17 Jun 2009 <http://www.acadv.org/children.html>.

Works Cited (Continued)Dowry Deaths Website:

“India: Dowry Deaths Still Increasing.” Women’s International Network News. 22.2 (1996): 67-70. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. 16 June 2009. <web.ebscohost.com>

Honor Killing Website:“Thousands of Women Killed for Family ‘Honor’.”

National Geographic Website. 12 February 2002. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/02/0212_020212_honorkilling.html>