End Domestic Violence
More than one million people die violent deaths every year.
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Every single minute, nearly 20 people are sexually abused in the U.S.
Violence is the use of physical force with the intent to injure, abuse, damage, degrade or destroy. The WHO defines violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation."
The World Health Organization divides violence into three broad categories:
- Self-directed Violence Intentional self-harm can be physical or psychological, often carried out by children and adolescents. Intentional self-harm includes eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, and self-injury e.g. cutting.
Suicide is the result of many factors. Suicide is often preceded by suicidal thoughts, threats of suicide and suicide attempts.
- Interpersonal Violence Interpersonal violence is violence involving domestic violence, sexual assault and harassment e.g. stalking. According to the WHO, most aggressors of interpersonal violence fall into the age category of 15-44 years.
In the worst case, interpersonal violence ends in homicide, i.e. the death of the victim.
**Child abuse **includes abuse and neglect of children under 18 years of age in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.
Youth violence refers to violence that occurs among individuals aged 10–29 years who are unrelated and who may or may not know each other. This includes cyber crime e.g. bullying over social media, sometimes even leading to suicide, especially among young victims.
**Mental abuse **including verbal attacks (curses and threats) and psychological abuse (controlling, manipulative and intimidating behavior) and bullying, affects everyone of all ages and genders.
Intimate partner violence Intimate partner violence refers to behavior within an intimate relationship that causes physical, sexual or psychological harm, including acts of physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and controlling behavior. 1 in 3 women worldwide are physically, sexually or otherwise abused during their lifetime - this figure is as much as 70 % in some countries.
Sexual assaults in the US. Source: viaGood
Sexual violence Sexual violence occurs in many forms, some are punishable (rape, forced marriages, forced abortion, prevention of contraception, forced prostitution), while some (sexual advances e.g. in the workplace) are tolerated by society.
Elder abuse is a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust. which causes harm or distress to an older person (aged 60 years and older).
- Collective Violence Collective violence is the use of violence by people who consider themselves part of a group (temporary or permanent) against another group of people in order to achieve political, economic or social goals. The perpetrator of collective violence, unlike the previous categories of violence, is a large group of people (state, political party or terrorist organization).
**Forms of collective violence **include war, terrorism and other political conflicts taking place within a country or between countries. It includes organized crime and gang warfare.
State violence includes genocide (mass killing of a population on the basis of a different race, ethnicity, religion or other political orientation), repression, torture and other human rights’ violations.
Deaths from Interpersonal violence per million persons. Range: 0-1000 killed persons. Source: viaGood
Causes of collective violence Collective violence can be caused for political reasons, usually in authoritarian or totalitarian regimes. A current example can be seen in Afghanistan. Further causes of collective violence are cultural, racial and demographic factors. Religious differences, as well as poverty and social inequality cause frequent conflicts among groups of people.
Racism is a major cause of collective violence - see the separate Cause: Fight Racism and Xenophobia
Globally, every 7 minutes, an adolescent is killed by an act of violence.
Violence in all its forms has a negative impact on the progress of nations. Economic growth and social development can be slowed down, the feeling of personal and collective security eroded. Families can be ruined through the violent death or severe disability of the main breadwinner. Communities can be caught in poverty traps where pervasive violence and deprivation form a vicious circle.
Globally, every 7 minutes, an adolescent is killed by an act of violence. In the United States, adolescent boys from African American or colored populations are almost 19 times more likely to be murdered than White adolescent boys.
Furthermore, violence often has lifelong consequences for physical and mental health and social functioning and can slow down economic and social development. Indirect costs of violence are a loss of productivity and investment in a country. Communities with pervasive violence do not provide the level of stability and predictability vital for a prospering business economy.
Child Abuse Approximately 5 children die every day due to child abuse. According to statistics, 1 out of 3 girls and 1 out of 5 boys will be sexually abused before they reach the age of 18 in the USA.
90 % of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator in some way. 68 % are abused by a family member.
Abused children suffer from depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders. They fail at school or have difficulty in learning.
Abused and neglected children are 59 % more likely to be arrested as juveniles, 28 % more likely to be arrested as adults, and 30 % more likely to commit violent crimes.
2.9 million cases of child abuse are reported in the U.S. every year. 14 % of all men and 36 % of all women in prison were abused as children.
Abused children are less likely to practice safe sex, putting them at greater risk of sexually transmitted diseases, and they are more likely to experience teen pregnancy.
Violence is ugly. Source: Pexels
Violence against Women Sexual violence is any act or attempt directed against a person’s sexuality, regardless of the relationship to the victim. Violence against women and girls has devastating effects, and yet often remains unreported. This violence includes mental or physical abuse, rape, stalking, cyber-harassment, unwanted sexual advances, forced and child marriages, human trafficking and female genital mutilation.
The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women issued by the UN General Assembly in 1993, defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”
Abuse against Women is a worldwide problem According to the US Statistics on Victims of Sexual Violence**, **approximately 60 % of rape cases are unreported. Of these, only 10 % have charges laid against them by their victims, and then, there is only an 8 % probability that the perpetrator will be convicted. Only 4 % of rape perpetrators end up in prison.
While gender-based violence can happen to anyone, anywhere, some females are particularly vulnerable - i.e. young girls and older women, women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex, migrants and refugees, indigenous women and ethnic minorities, or females living with HIV and disabilities, and those living through humanitarian crises.
The promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - to leave no one behind - cannot be fulfilled, without putting an end to violence against women and girls.
Map of physical security of women in the world. Source: viaGood
Consequences of sexual violence The most significant physical consequences of sexual violence include unwanted pregnancies or other gynecological problems.
The severity of psychological consequences depends on the circumstances in which the violence took place, the reaction of the family, etc.
Social consequences include deterioration of relationships (family, friendship, partnership), reduction of contacts with loved ones, reduction of the probability of a healthy partnership or marriage. There may also be a change in the victim's behavior and habits, from eating disorders to the use of drugs and other addictive substances.
Fatal consequences, in extreme cases, include the suicide of victims, the subsequent death of a newborn conceived in rape, death following an illegal abortion, death due to AIDS, and the immediate death of victims of rape.
Results of Domestic Violence More than 90 % of homeless females have been victims of severe physical or sexual abuse.
Children and young people exposed to violence are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, become delinquent and engage in criminal behavior.
Did you know… rape victims are 13 times more likely to succumb to alcoholism and 26 times more likely to succumb to drug addiction?
Read the Solution section!
Don’t turn a blind eye to violence. Watch for signs and help the victims.
Violence has devastating effects on everyone, on individuals as well as on society as a whole. This must be stopped.
How can YOU help? Raise public awareness and join the debate on violence, and about the possible ways in which victims can seek help. Stimulate community action, address the social and material causes of violence in the local environment, and make provision for the care and support of victims.
**Volunteer for a 24-hour Helpline **e.g. of Samaritans USA.
Watch for signs of domestic violence. 2 out of 3 American children are traumatized by violence and abuse at home, at school and in communities. 1 in 3 adolescents is a victim of physical or emotional abuse. Offer assistance and advice if a friend or acquaintance is suffering from domestic violence or other abuse, or even if you merely suspect this.
Report child abuse to CPS (Child Protective Services). Report other abuse to the relevant local Police authorities. If you are a victim of domestic violence yourself, be aware that you are not alone. Do not hesitate to report it! Call the Samaritans or CPS in the USA and similar Helplines in other countries.
Set up a neighborhood watch and trigger debate to make sure the streets are safe and well-lit. Youth should have positive ways of spending their free time, through organized recreation and sport, tutoring programs, part-time work and volunteering opportunities.
Support education to prevent violence.
Combat human trafficking – activities range from prevention to ensuring justice for victims.
Build a partnership with the Police – focus on solving problems instead of reacting to crises. Make it possible for neighbors to report suspicious activity or crimes without fear of retaliation.
Take advantage of "safety in numbers" to hold rallies, marches, and other group activities to show you're determined to drive out crime, violence and drug trafficking and abuse in your area.
Clean up the neighborhood! Involve everyone - teens, children, senior citizens. Graffiti, trash, abandoned cars, and run-down buildings tell criminals that you don't care about each other or your surroundings. Call the local Public Works Department and ask for help in cleaning up.
Call on local officials to force criminals out of your neighborhood, e.g. by enforcing Anti-noise laws, Housing Codes, Health and Fire codes, Anti-nuisance laws, and Drug-free and Anti-noise clauses in rental leases.
Work with schools to establish drug-free zones. Encourage education and lectures on matters of abuse and violence and what children should do if faced with such situations.
Distribute a list of local organizations and their contact telephone numbers to call in cases of abuse and violence.
