Physical abuse is any intentional act causing injury or trauma to another person or animal by way of bodily contact. In many cases, many children are victims of physical abuse, but adults can also be victims, as in cases of domestic violence or workplace aggression.
This is on both the male and female side. It is not only men that abuse women, but there are also plenty of women that abuse their husbands or partners.
Physical abuse can include some or all the following:
Pushing, biting, shoving, slapping, strangling, choking, throwing things, force-feeding or not given access to food. Physical restraints, reckless driving or any other act that can hurt you in any way.
Never assume. Just because someone has a bruise doesn’t necessarily mean that they are being abused. A bruise could mean that they really did hurt themselves. Don’t turn this into an unnecessary issue if you are not a hundred percent sure that the person is in trouble. This could be difficult to figure out because the abused person might not want anyone to know.
Here are some signs that you can be on the lookout for:
If you are a good friend, you would continue to visit your friend and if you in the least bit even suspect that the person is being abused, you should convince your friend to report it to the police.
Many women will say that you should mind your own business, because most abused women are just plain scared, and they are even more scared of being exposed in public. They don’t want to be embarrassed or admit that they are in trouble.
Some abused women even believe that they deserve what is happening to them. Many women NEVER reports this to the police and stay in the abusive relationship. They believe that there is no way out of their situation, and they are so deep in, they just learn to live with the abuse. They get stuck.
Many abused women are not allowed to work because it can expose the abuser. These women have no way to support themselves or their children.
Many abused women are not self-sufficient and very dependent on others. They just can’t cope alone and are too weak to stand up for themselves.
If you know of anyone that is in such a situation you need to help them get out. Some of these women are so brain-washed that they just give up and it is your duty as an outsider to step in and help. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Physical abuse can cause many chronic health problems. Abused women are more likely to develop depression and anxiety and some may even develop eating disorders or misuse alcohol to cope with their situation.
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Physical or mental illness – specifically PTSD
• Conflicts in the household
• Alcohol abuse
• A history of being abused/neglected as a child
• Single parenting
• Drug abuse
• Narcissism
Physical abuse doesn’t always start immediately in a relationship. Something can trigger a person to just slap or push someone, and then it progresses into domestic violence.
Physical abuse is never legal and if you are in any way abused, there are things that you can do to get support.
Support is needed when you are constantly afraid of your partner. If you feel you can’t do anything right because your partner gets angry very easily or if you steer clear of certain topics to avoid your partner to become angry.
The abuser will often blame the victim and say that they caused this violent behaviour. They might also blame alcohol or drugs, or even their work situation. They do not take responsibility for their actions. It is common for the abuser to beg for remorse or to apologize for the assault. This makes the victim go soft and makes it more difficult to leave the situation because the victim believes that it will not happen again.
Just remember the following:
