Trigger Warning: This article talks about Intimate Partner Violence which includes discussion of sexual assault, physical violence, stalking, self-harm and other topics regarding the effects of IPV.
When we think of sexual assault, we may not think of it being something that happens between a seemingly happy couple. Maybe we think of it as something that happens randomly, while out at a party or at another social gathering. While any person can be sexually assaulted at any time, sexual assault or physical violence most commonly occurs within intimate relationships. The CDC describes Intimate Partner Violence, or IPV, as “abuse or aggression that occurs in a romantic relationship.” It can take the form of physical violence, sexual violence, stalking and psychological aggression. It is one of the most common forms of violence against women worldwide and while intimate partner violence can also have male victims, it is an unfortunate reality that the burden of IPV is overwhelmingly borne by women and caused by men. With this knowledge, it is important to break down the statistics and information about IPV, to find preventative measures and protect survivors of such terrible acts.
How Common is IPV?
The CDC reports that about 1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men report having experienced severe physical violence from a partner in their lifetime, and about 1 in 5 women and 1 in 12 men have experienced contact sexual violence by an intimate partner. In addition to physical and sexual violence, 10% of women and 2% of men report stalking by an intimate partner. IPV also does not only occur within the adult community. When occurring in teens, it is referred to as teen dating violence, with 11 million women and 5 million men reporting that violence by an intimate partner occurred before the age of 18.
How Does IPV Affect Victims and Survivors?
According to the World Health Organization, IPV can cause a large array of physical damage, ranging from bruises and welts to traumatic brain injuries and attempted strangulation. Mentally, IPV can cause higher levels of depression, anxiety, and phobias. In addition, substance abuse, eating and sleep disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and self-harm can result from psychological abuse within an intimate relationship. In reproductive health, unintended and unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and unsafe abortion can occur due to IPV. Lastly, 40-70% of female murder victims were killed by an intimate partner. The consequences and effects are terrifying, and yet IPV is a topic barely covered in sexual education curriculum and many are surprised when they hear their loved ones have been violently abused by someone they once trusted.
What Should Our Response Be?
Solutions are comprehensive, intersectional and long-term plans that must be enacted at a higher level than just individual intervention. These include reforming civil and criminal legal frameworks to protect victims, organizing advocacy campaigns to inform citizens about existing legislation, continue to advance and strengthen women’s civil rights, integrate attention to violence against women into sexual and reproductive health services, engage men and boys to promote nonviolence and gender equality, and provide intensive support and care for survivors of IPV.
Why Must We Talk About This?
Even now that we have our overwhelming, terrifying, and very convincing statistics, our society is still somehow unable to recognize how prevalent IPV is, or even begin to believe it is an issue. And that right there is the overarching problem; some people do not even believe that IPV is happening every minute, of everyday, everywhere. Survivors deserve so much better than that. Your friends deserve so much better. Your family members deserve so much better. And I deserved so much better. I should not have had to take an intimate partner to court for people to start to believe I was being abused. I should not have had to rehash my trauma over and over to convince someone that what happened to me was bad. I should not have experienced intimate partner violence, or rather, teen dating violence, at the age of 14. This issue is increasingly common. It should worry us as our society is failing to protect people we know and love.
No one should have to survive intimate partner violence. 1 in 4 women should not have to experience contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking in their lifetime. It is a burden that should not be carried by the women of our world. Women are important and interesting and worth so much more than abuse, accusations of false testimonies, and years of feeling unheard. Women deserve to be listened to, believed, and trusted, and there must be safe environments for women to heal. While intimate partner violence occurs behind closed doors, what happens behind those doors must be thrown into the light. It is our job, both men and women, to not only support survivors, but to talk about the signs of IPV before violence can even happen and educate our youth on gender equality so that the future of women, everywhere, can be safer.
References:
Understanding and Addressing Violence Against Women: Intimate Partner Violence. (2012). Retrieved from World Health Organization: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/77432/WHO_RHR_12.36_eng.pdf
Violence Prevention: Intimate Partner Violence. (2020). Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/index.html