by Dawn Hawkins

Created on: January 01, 2011   Last Updated: January 04, 2011

The American Bar's Commission on Domestic Violence states that 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are victims of domestic violence per year in the United States. That is a staggering number of domestic violence incidents and only include those which have been reported. It does not include those cases in which the violence has never been reported. It is important to understand what domestic violence is in order to put a halt to its damaging affects on the family unit.

Domestic violence is defined by the "Joyful Heart Foundation" as "a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner." Domestic violence doesn't necessarily only occur behind the closed doors of a home. It often spills over those boundaries into several aspects of life. The use of the words "domestic abuse" are meant to describe any violent action that occurs within the intimate relationship.

The different types of violence that might occur in a domestic violence case include things like hitting, raping, holding the person down so he/she cannot leave, intimidation to cause fear in the victim and threats, which could be seen as coercion. Domestic violence occurs in far too many homes and the chances of violence occurring in the same home on more than one occasion is not unusual. The only means of stopping domestic violence in a home is knowledge and the ability of the victim to extricate him/herself from the situation. This is often where the biggest problem lies.

Domestic violence doesn't just affect the victim of the violence. It also affects any children that may also live in the home. Children can have serious issues resulting from seeing domestic violence occur against one of their parents. It can affect the children for the rest of their lives. Domestic violence is just as mentally abusive as it is physical because the scars that it leaves behind emotionally often never completely heal.

Domestic violence doesn't just hurt a person. Many domestic abuse victims don't survive the attacks. Abuse often escalates into a deadly situation. Tempers flare beyond the norm and one person ends up paying the ultimate price. Other victims of domestic violence have been physically altered for life, such as the case with Tracy Thurman. Her story can be heard through the made for television movie "A Cry for Help- The Tracy Thurman Story". Her case is like many other cases where domestic violence has grown worse over time. She helped set a precedent for other women who have gone through the same issues. Her life has been permanently altered because of the physical harm her husband caused her when he attempted to murder her in front of police. Fortunately, Tracy Thurman survived the attack and was able to make a difference in the fight against domestic violence.

Domestic violence is the act of a person saying they love another and then physically and emotionally tearing the person down. Emotional and physical harm occur when domestic violence occurs. Low self-esteem is the least of the possible effects that domestic violence can have on the victim. Low self-esteem is a serious enough issue without the many other possibilities that could arise from domestic violence. The domestic abuse hotline is there to help those who are seeking help to get away from a domestic abuser. For help, call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) in the United States.

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