WHO IS AFFECTED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?

Domestic violence may occur in the lives of persons of all ages, cultural/ethnic/religious groups, genders, and social classes. It is one of the most common but least reported crimes, so it is impossible to know the actual incidence and prevalence. Feelings of shame, fear, and hopelessness often prevent victims from seeking protection and support. Many victims of such abuse do not report domestic violence to their physicians or to anyone else. However, the statistics available confirm that the problem is pervasive and alarming.

Domestic violence is viewed as an ongoing and pervasive problem in Florida. The Florida Statistical Analysis Center (2019) reported 105,298 cases of domestic violence in 2019 among a population of 21 million. Two hundred murders related to domestic violence are included in the statistics.

Domestic Violence among Women

Victims of domestic violence are usually women and children. Perpetrators of domestic violence are generally, though not always, men. Nearly one in six homicide victims in the United States is killed by an intimate partner, and nearly half of female homicide victims are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. Many victims do not report IPV to police, friends, health professionals, or family, so these statistics underestimate the problem (CDC, 2019).

Teens and Dating Violence

Teen dating violence is another form of intimate partner violence that is disturbingly common among high school students and can result in serious short- and long-term effects. The nature of dating violence can be physical, emotional, or sexual. Dating violence can also include stalking and can take place in person or electronically.

As with adult victims of IPV, many teens do not report their victimization. According to one survey in which teens reported various types of victimization, psychological abuse was most common (over 60%). Teens also reported substantial rates of sexual abuse (18%) and physical abuse (18%). The study found that only 12% of the youth who were surveyed reported perpetrating physical and/or sexual abuse (Taylor, 2016).

Teens who harm their dating partners are more likely to be depressed and more aggressive than their peers. Other characteristics of abusive dating partners include:

• Trauma symptoms (irritability, anxiety, anger, difficulty concentrating, insomnia)
• Exposure to harsh parenting
• Exposure to inconsistent discipline
• Lack of parental supervision and warmth
• Belief that using dating violence is acceptable
• Alcohol use
• Behavioral problems in other areas
• Having a friend involved with dating violence
  (CDC, 2016b)

Domestic Violence among Older Adults

Abuse of older adults may be missed by professionals who work with these patients because of a lack of training in detecting abuse. Abuse may go unreported by the victims themselves because they may be unable physically or cognitively to seek help, they do not want to get the abuser in trouble, or they fear retaliation. Various studies on elder abuse present different findings, but the most common type of elder abuse is financial, followed by neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. Elder abuse may also take the form of emotional abuse, abandonment, or self-neglect.

Florida statutes define older adults as ages 60 and over and include disabled adults ages 18 to 60 within the same statute that protects elders. Abuse is defined as any intentional act, threat, or act of omission that leads to impairment of the vulnerable person’s physical, mental, or emotional well-being by a relative, caregiver, or member of the household (Online Sunshine, 2020b).

Domestic Violence among Racial and Ethnic Groups

Domestic violence is a crime without cultural boundaries. It affects people from all walks of life regardless of race, religion, or economic class. The desire or ability to report the crime and access to services may also be affected by the person’s culture. Therefore, it is essential for health professionals to consider cultural differences when working with immigrant and diverse communities in order to provide appropriate and sensitive services (NIJC, 2013).

People in some cultures may believe that the family is the only appropriate forum for dealing with domestic violence, and outside interference is not encouraged or accepted. Some groups resist acknowledging that domestic violence exists as a problem. It can be challenging to assist victims who do not understand their legal rights or who are unaware that resources and legal assistance are available.

Complex issues of racism, in combination with sexism, may contribute to increased prevalence of domestic violence in the African American community. Black women are as much as three times more likely to die from domestic abuse as White women, making it one of the leading causes of death for black women between the ages of 15 and 35. Black women also under-report domestic violence more than women from other communities (Ingram, 2017). One impediment to reporting domestic violence faced by Black women is that they are less likely to trust potentially racially biased law enforcement agents and the legal system than are their White counterparts. African American communities may be more likely to rely on a faith-based social system and prefer to keep their problems private (Violence Policy Center, 2019).

As of 2016, nearly 29% of Florida residents speak a language other than English at home. The most commonly spoken languages (in order of prevalence) are Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, French, and Chinese (Migration Policy Institute, 2016). Language barriers, along with social isolation and cultural intolerance, can prevent people from seeking help and reporting abuse. It is important that service providers receive training and assistance in improving language access so that trauma survivors can safely report abuse and receive services (Vera Institute of Justice, 2016).

Domestic Violence and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and Intersex Persons (LGBTQ+)

Intimate partner violence in LGBTQ+ relationships is not unlike that which occurs in heterosexual relationships. One partner exhibits a pattern of abusive behavior in an effort to control and intimidate the other. The prevalence is difficult to quantify because crime reports may list the persons as roommates, and not all LGBTQ+ survivors disclose their sexual orientation or gender identification when reporting IPV. Some reports state the rate of IPV as comparable to the rate in heterosexual relationships (Yale University, 2020).

Persons who identify as LGBTQ+ face unique barriers to accessing services or reporting to the police:

• A LGBTQ+ victim may fear that the abuser will reveal their sexual orientation or biological gender to family, friends, or coworkers.
• Abusers may threaten to reveal an infected person’s positive HIV status to others or to transmit HIV to the victim if he or she is HIV negative.
• These individuals fear institutional discrimination and homophobic or transphobic care providers.
• A transgender person may not have undergone sexual reassignment surgery and may avoid a physical exam by a clinician that might include observation of their genitals.
• LGBTQ+ communities are small, which makes maintaining privacy more difficult.
• LGBTQ+ individuals may not want to report for fear of perpetuating negative stereotypes.
  (Yale University, 2020)

Law enforcement authorities may not recognize same-sex individuals as intimate or domestic partners and may have a difficult time determining the primary abuser or that the assaultive behavior is actually a domestic crime. Access to services is severely limited by lack of domestic violence shelters that serve male and transgender victims. Sensitivity to the needs of these individuals is paramount to effecting social change and helping victims receive needed assistance.

Domestic Violence and the U.S. Military

Military regulations require that all military officials report any suspicion of family violence to a Family Advocacy agent. Officials include commanders, first sergeants, supervisors, medical professionals, teachers, and police officers.

If the abuser is a military member, the military justice system is implemented. Family Advocacy personnel conduct an investigation, intervene, and provide treatment. They may substantiate the abuse, but if there is insufficient legal evidence, there may be no punishment for the abuser. There is no confidentiality in the military, as there is with civilian advocacy, and any pertinent statements that are made during interactions with Family Advocacy are recorded and passed on to the legal sector.

If there is sufficient legal evidence, the military justice system may reprimand the abuser or mandate extra training or counseling. Reprimands are recorded and can negatively affect the subject’s career. In many cases, the subject is required to be separated from their spouse and required to be housed in barracks until an investigation has been completed, and the subject may be issued a no-contact order with the victim.

Military spouses may decide not to report the abuse for all of the same reasons that civilian victims do not report. They may also hesitate because the accusation may negatively impact their spouse’s career. In fact, a military member who is a domestic abuser is 23% more likely to be discharged than a nonabuser, and if not discharged, is likely to be promoted more slowly than a nonabuser. The federal government provides limited financial protection (up to 36 months) to the abused spouse if the military member is discharged for the abuse of a spouse or dependent child (Powers, 2016).