Barriers to Leaving an Abusive Partner
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the most common abusive behavior that occurs within an intimate relationship. IPV occurs in all social groups, irrespective of gender, race, socioeconomic status, culture, and sexual orientation. Although women can be aggressive in their relationship with men and sometimes violence can permeate same-sex relationships, the overwhelming global burden of IPV is more likely to be borne by females. Individuals with no prior experience in IPV often find it perplexing to fathom why victims of abuse contend with it for years. At the heart of this paradox is usually the question, “Why doesn't the victim leave?” or its obverse “Why does the victim stay?” There are multiple impediments that constrain the options available for victims of abuse, some of which may be at an individual or relationship level, but many have to do with the conditions in the society that have shaped the views and attitudes towards violence.
Individual Barriers
The extent to which the abusive experience affects oneself, coupled with individual traits, may diminish the resolve to leave. Evidence suggests that most individuals in abused relationship suffer from low self-esteem. This is attributed to the internalization of …show more content…
Legal interventions have proven not to work in certain instances. Furthermore, the efficacy of the arrest and prosecution in deterring a perpetrator from committing future violence has often been put into question. In some cases, it has prevented the occurrence of violence while in others, it has served to escalate the levels of abuse experienced (Barnett, 2000). Moreover, pressing charges against a batterer is a matter that is fraught with impediments. The process escalates the victim’s powerlessness as he or she has no control over the outcome of the
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the most common abusive behavior that occurs within an intimate relationship. IPV occurs in all social groups, irrespective of gender, race, socioeconomic status, culture, and sexual orientation. Although women can be aggressive in their relationship with men and sometimes violence can permeate same-sex relationships, the overwhelming global burden of IPV is more likely to be borne by females. Individuals with no prior experience in IPV often find it perplexing to fathom why victims of abuse contend with it for years. At the heart of this paradox is usually the question, “Why doesn't the victim leave?” or its obverse “Why does the victim stay?” There are multiple impediments that constrain the options available for victims of abuse, some of which may be at an individual or relationship level, but many have to do with the conditions in the society that have shaped the views and attitudes towards violence.
Individual Barriers
The extent to which the abusive experience affects oneself, coupled with individual traits, may diminish the resolve to leave. Evidence suggests that most individuals in abused relationship suffer from low self-esteem. This is attributed to the internalization of …show more content…
Legal interventions have proven not to work in certain instances. Furthermore, the efficacy of the arrest and prosecution in deterring a perpetrator from committing future violence has often been put into question. In some cases, it has prevented the occurrence of violence while in others, it has served to escalate the levels of abuse experienced (Barnett, 2000). Moreover, pressing charges against a batterer is a matter that is fraught with impediments. The process escalates the victim’s powerlessness as he or she has no control over the outcome of the