Domestic Violence

Domestic violence (sometimes referred to asdomestic violence and "violence against men".
domestic abuse) occurs when a family member,Domestic violence occurs in all cultures; people of all
partner or ex-partner attempts to physically orraces, ethnicities, religions, and classes can be
psychologically dominate another. Domestic violenceperpetrators of domestic violence. Domestic violence
often refers to violence between spouses, but canis perpetrated by, and on, both men and women,
also include cohabitants and non-married intimateand occurs in same-sex and opposite-sex
partners. The term "intimate partner violence" (IPV) isrelationships.
often used synonymously. Other terms include wifeAwareness and documentation of Domestic violence
or husband beating, battering, "relationship violence",Domestic violence has many forms, including physical
"domestic abuse", and "spousal abuse". Family violenceviolence, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, intimidation,
is a broader definition, often used to include childeconomic deprivation or threats of violence. There
abuse, elder abuse, and other violent acts betweenare a number of dimensions:
family members.* mode - physical, psychological, sexual and/or social
Recent attention to Domestic violence Popular* frequency - on/off, occasional, chronic
emphasis has tended to be on women as the victims* severity - in terms of both psychological or physical
of domestic violence although with the rise of theharm and the need for treatment - transitory or
men's movement, and particularly men's rights, therepermanent injury - mild, moderate, severe up to
is now some advocacy for men as victims, althoughhomicide.
the statistics concerning the number of male victimsThe means used to measure domestic violence
given by them are strongly contested by manystrongly influence the results found.
groups active in research on or working in the field of