What Is Intimate Partner Violence - 1351 Words

What is Intimate Partner Violence? If one has not lived through it, the meaning is unknown. When we hear the term, we tend to picture a woman covered in bruises. In reality, the damage is much worse. There is many long term effects that run deeper than the physical injuries (Giardino, 2010). Victims experience shame, isolation, detrimental physical and mental health consequences and financial stressor. This also causes dramatic effects on the families of the victims. This violence also affects the children who may be at an increased risk of physical abuse. Children who live through IPV suffer through the trauma of witnessing the violence and having feelings of fear, guilt, and shame. Intimate partner violence is defined as a†¦show more content†¦It is believed that a large part of the population is in risk of this type of victimization (Giardino, 2010). With the health care community taking more interest in this issue, new screening tools have been developed to guid e in the victim’s safety and find a way for them to leave the relationship (Giardino, 2010). In addition, intervention programs have been developed for the purpose of decreasing the risk of perpetrators from re-offending. There is an estimated 5.3 million IPV cases among woman that have occurred each year in the United States (Giardino, 2010). Two million have resulted in injuries and 1,300 deaths. It is more common for females to be victims of IPV but there has been cases where the victims are male or transgender. They are either married or single, involved in a heterosexual or same-sex relationship, and are members of any ethnic or socioeconomic group (Giardino, 2010). The myth of victims being poor, uneducated women is false. There is controversy in regards to the race and economic status of victims of intimate partner violence. There is no relationship between IPV and race, economic status, or educational level (Giardino, 2010). According to the National Violence against Women (NVAW), the ethnic groups of women most affected by IPV are American Indian, Alaskan Native, African American, and Hispanics