For many people, there are few things that evoke a more reassuring sense of warmth, comfort,

stability, and safety than going home. Many people see their home as a personal stronghold—a
bastion of unconditional love and support. At home, we tend to have more freedom, more time
for family, and for a few hours, at least, we are afforded an escape from the hustle of the day.
For victims of domestic violence, however, the home is anything but a refuge.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), domestic violence is
the intentional physical assault, intimidation, battery, sexual assault, and/or use of other
threatening behavior by one member of a household against another. Other less obvious forms
of abusive behavior include stalking, the use of threatening looks or gestures.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL WOUNDS

Broken, bruised, and battered features are the obvious signs of domestic abuse. However, just
as physical injuries demand our care and attention, it is imperative that the psychological
and emotional wounds suffered from these traumatic events also get addressed.
The American Psychological Association (APA) explains that psychological trauma is “an
emotional response to a terrible event …” which interferes with an individual’s ability to
function as he or she would under normal circumstances. While the psychological impact of a
particular incident will vary from person to person, most individuals experience increased levels
of emotional distress after going through traumatic events. Thankfully, these feelings of distress
often subside if adequate support is received from family members, friends, mental health
professionals, and other social networks.
The lack of emotional support can lead to heightened fear, anxiety, depression,
anger, posttraumatic stress, social withdrawal, the use of illicit drugs, alcohol dependence, and
even suicidal ideation.
It is clear that the psychological and emotional wounds of domestic violence are devastating.
They can potentially haunt victims for many years and rob them of the ability to live a rich, full
life. These wounds are completely undetectable by x-rays and too often go untreated.
Domestic violence often has a ripple effect that tears through the fabric of the victim’s life. The
psychological, emotional, and social impacts of domestic violence can linger long after the
violence has subsided, and even after the victim has left the abusive partner.
The National Center for PTSD, a prominent research and education organization that studies
the psychological effects of trauma, has identified several scenarios that indicate red flags in an
unhealthy relationship. An unhealthy relationship may be indicated when one partner:
 Has complete control of all household finances.
  Limits or completely closes off the other partner’s social life. He or she may isolate the
other partner from friends and family.
 Consistently threatens to ruin the reputation of the other partner, especially after he
or she has expressed a desire to end the relationship.
 Repeatedly tries to scare the other by breaking things, punching holes in the wall, and
hurting or threatening to hurt pets.
 Systematically evokes feelings of guilt or shame in the other partner.
These types of coercive and controlling behaviors are often present in cases of domestic
violence, and can have a profound impact on how a victim of abuse is able to function socially,
even after leaving an abusive relationship. If an individual is financially dependent on his or her
abusive partner, any decision to escape the abuse carries with it the real possibility of
homelessness. One study (2003) showed that among a sample of 110 women who had
experienced domestic abuse, 38% reported homelessness.
Issues of poverty and homelessness are closely linked to the abusive act of isolating an intimate
partner from family, friends, and other sources of social support. Under normal circumstances,
a person with strong social connections will look to his or her relatives and/or peers when
assistance is needed. However, isolation from these support groups may cause the connections
to wither. In the end, people who experience domestic violence might reason that they are
completely alone in their struggles and former resources are no longer available.
The topic of domestic violence entered the media spotlight well ahead of Domestic Violence
Awareness Month. October has been dubbed domestic violence awareness month since 1987,
and each October, we see a flurry of media content dedicated to raising awareness about the
alarming numbers of people who are affected by violence in the home. This year, widespread
media coverage of a professional football star’s appalling abuse of his then fiancée, made more
horrific through video footage, rallied forces to stand up and speak out against domestic
violence several weeks ahead of October.
But domestic abuse, or intimate partner violence, is not limited to sports stars or to any
particular month. Domestic violence occurs in millions of households every day, and a huge
number of these incidents go unreported. Violence in the home affects everyone within the
household, whether or not family members are victims of abuse themselves, and it extends
well beyond the confines of the home, affecting neighbors, family, friends, coworkers, and the
community at large.