It is important to note that domestic violence can have a wide range of forms and types. Each category has a unique set of behaviors, issues, and emotional elements involved, which is why distinguishing them is of paramount criticality. The research and analysis process of the different types of domestic abuse showed that I was not aware of the multifaceted nature of intimate partner violence.
When it comes to domestic violence, there are many categories. These include economic abuse, male privilege use, verbal abuse, isolation, emotional abuse and intimidation, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and control (ACESDV, 2022). In the case of control, one partner controls the other person’s behavior by maintaining dominance in a relationship. Physical abuse is the most well-known, where an intimate partner physically harms another through actions such as hitting, kicking, or beating. For sexual abuse, sex is used as a tool to abuse an intimate partner, such as the use of guilt, manipulation, or force (ACESDV, 2022). These are one of the most well-known forms of domestic abuse, and they are usually direct and can be visible.
However, the most surprising fact, of which I was not aware, is intimate partner violence or IPV’s many forms. One can abuse his or her intimate partner through technological abuse, heterosexism, spiritual abuse, immigration status, use of children, and homophobia, in addition to the ways mentioned above (Women Against Abuse, 2022). For example, intimate immigrant partners can be subjected to immigration status abuse, which includes threatening with deportation, abusing the language barriers, or destroying immigration documents (Women Against Abuse, 2022). When it comes to technological abuse, the most affected intimate partners are adolescents, where social media can be used to stalk, intimidate, or threaten a person (Women Against Abuse, 2022). Since there is a multitude of variations of domestic abuse, treatment should proceed with awareness and knowledgeability of each type (Meichenbaum, 2006). The problem case can greatly vary, which is why it is required to assess each one individually.
There are differences in types of abuse experienced because people have diverse vulnerabilities, dependencies, and power dynamics. In addition, a particular group might rely on one element more than other, which becomes the target of abuse. For instance, social media can be highly important for an adolescent intimate partner’s socialization and communication, which is his or her abuser might commit technological abuse. The sub-types include hacking the account, password changing, online stalking, sending inappropriate images or videos, using tracking devices, or online identity theft and impersonation. Another example would be spiritual abuse happening against a religious or spiritual person through a combination of verbal abuse and shaming. I was not aware of these forms of intimate partner violence since I was most knowledgeable about physical, verbal, and emotional categories. I was surprised about immigration status abuse despite the fact that it makes sense in a relationship, where a partner’s immigration status makes him or her more vulnerable to a full citizen.
In conclusion, one should be aware that there is a wide range of domestic abuse types. These include verbal abuse, isolation, emotional abuse and intimidation, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and control. However, I was not aware of spiritual abuse, technological abuse, immigration status abuse, and homophobia. Each of the mentioned types was surprising because they tend to be prevalent among a specific group, such as adolescents, religious people, immigrants, or members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
References
ACESDV. (2022). Types of domestic violence. Web.
Meichenbaum, D. (2006). Family violence: Treatment of perpetrators and victims [PDF document]. Web.
Women Against Abuse. (2022). Types of abuse: Intimate partner violence can occur in many different forms. Web.