I am doing a project on spousal abuse i need to know any facts possible on this topic suchas what is the percentage of women in the u.s are getting abused?

-- Anonymous, March 07, 2000

Answers

If you're doing it on spousal abuse, remember to include abused men as well. Men are abused as much as women are in marriages.

There are many references that can help you out on the SAFE webpage: http://www.dgp.utoronto.ca/~jade/safe/

-- Anonymous, March 07, 2000

hOW MANY WOMEN HAVE BEEN THE VICTIMS OF SPOUSAL ABUSE IN THE UNITED STATES THUS FAR?

-- Anonymous, October 24, 2000

How many men are being abused as we talk about this? The same number of men and women are being abused. If it is two(one of each), then the number is too high. But, both are being attacked and in equal numbers.

-- Anonymous, October 26, 2000

I am also doing a project on spousal abuse here is what i have so far. Email any other responses to me.Please. What is spousal abuse? Spousal abuse is the deliberate attempt by a partner in an intimate relationship to control or intimidate the other partner. The couple may be married, unmarried or the same sex. What forms can spousal abuse take? Abuse can be physical, psychological, sexual or financial. A person may experience more than one kind of abuse. What would be included as physical abuse? Physical abuse can include hitting, punching, slapping, pushing, pinching, kicking, burning, shooting, stabbing or cutting. Physical abuse is legally known as assault. A person commits assault when they intentionally use force or try to use force against a person without consent. What would be included as psychological or emotional abuse? Psychological abuse can include threats, constant criticism and put downs, control of activities, humiliation, name calling, screaming at a person, ignoring a person, control of money, stalking, damaging property, threatening to have someone deported, and reading another person's mail. Some aspects of psychological abuse are also crimes in Canada such as stalking, damaging property and making threats. What kind of behavior is sexual abuse? Sexual abuse is sexual activity or sexual touching to which you do not consent. What kind of behavior is financial abuse? Financial abuse can include taking your pay check, or withholding money from you so that you have no food or cannot get necessary medical treatment. These are crimes in Canada. Other forms of financial abuse may not be crimes but may contribute to emotional abuse, such as controlling money very tightly. WHAT IS SPOUSAL ABUSE? "Spousal abuse" refers to the violence or mistreatment that a woman or a man may experience at the hands of a marital, common-law or same- sex partner. Spousal abuse may happen at any time during a relationship, including while it is breaking down, or after it has ended. There are many different forms of spousal abuse, and a person may be subjected to more than one form. Physical abuse may consist of just one incident or it may happen repeatedly. It includes using physical force in a way that injures someone - or puts them at risk of being injured- including beating, hitting, shaking, pushing, choking, biting, burning, kicking, or assaulting with a weapon.1 Other forms of physical abuse may include, for example, rough handling, confinement, or any dangerous or harmful use of force or restraint. Sexual abuse and exploitation includes all forms of sexual assault, sexual harassment or sexual exploitation.2 Forcing someone to participate in unwanted, unsafe or degrading sexual activity, or using ridicule or other tactics to try to denigrate, control or limit their sexuality or reproductive choices is sexual abuse. Emotional abuse includes verbal attacks, such as yelling, screaming and name-calling. Using criticism, verbal threats, social isolation, intimidation or exploitation to dominate another person are other forms of emotional abuse. Criminal harassment or "stalking" may include threatening a person or their loved ones, damaging their possessions, or harming their pets.3 Economic or financial abuse includes stealing from or defrauding a partner.4 Withholding money that is necessary to buy food or medical treatment,5 manipulating or exploiting a person for financial gain, denying them access to financial resources, or preventing them from working (or controlling their choice of occupation) are also forms of economic abuse. Spiritual abuse includes using a person's religious or spiritual beliefs to manipulate, dominate or control them. It may include preventing someone from engaging in spiritual or religious practices, or ridiculing their beliefs. Abusive partners may use a number of different tactics to try to exert power and control over their victim. Abuse is a misuse of power and a violation of trust. The abuse may happen once, or it may occur in a repeated and escalating pattern over a period of months or years. The abuse may change form over time. WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF SPOUSAL ABUSE? Abuse may affect virtually every aspect of an abused person's life. It can harm their physical and mental health, their ability to work, and their relationships with their children and other loved ones. Being abused can destroy a person's sense of self-efficacy and self- worth. Substance abuse (alcohol or drugs), if used as a coping mechanism, may further endanger an abused person's health and well- being. In some cases, the consequences of abuse are fatal; some individuals are eventually killed by their abusive partners. According to police-reported data for 1999, more than 500 women and 100 men were either seriously injured or killed at the hands of their partners.18 Abuse can also be devastating for those who are not the intended target. Children who are exposed to violence in their homes may experience serious emotional, developmental, behavioural and academic difficulties. For example, children who are exposed to physical violence between adults or teenagers in the home are more likely to be physically (or indirectly) aggressive, have emotional disorders, be hyperactive, or engage in acts of vandalism.19 Consequences for Abusers Abusers are responsible for the violence and harm they cause. In some cases, abusers may have been abused - or exposed to abuse - themselves. They may have learned that abusing others is a way to exert power and control. They may continue to abuse others even if it destroys their relationships or has other negative effects on their lives such as involvement in the criminal justice system. Some abusers eventually kill their victims and themselves. Societal Consequences Spousal abuse has enormous economic implications for Canadian society. The first research study to estimate the costs of various forms of violence against women, including woman abuse in intimate relationships, found that this problem costs Canadian society an estimated $4.2 billion per year in social services, education, criminal justice, labour, employment, health and medical costs. Criminal justice costs alone total an estimated $871,908,583.00 per year.20 SPOUSAL ABUSE: A FACT SHEET FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CANADA A copy of this publication is available here. (PDF 66K ) · WHAT IS SPOUSAL ABUSE? · HOW WIDESPREAD IS SPOUSAL ABUSE IN CANADA? · WHAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO SPOUSAL ABUSE? · WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF SPOUSAL ABUSE? · PREVENTING AND RESPONDING TO SPOUSAL ABUSE · SUGGESTED RESOURCES ON SPOUSAL ABUSE · WHERE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON SPOUSAL ABUSE WHAT IS SPOUSAL ABUSE? "Spousal abuse" refers to the violence or mistreatment that a woman or a man may experience at the hands of a marital, common-law or same- sex partner. Spousal abuse may happen at any time during a relationship, including while it is breaking down, or after it has ended. There are many different forms of spousal abuse, and a person may be subjected to more than one form. Physical abuse may consist of just one incident or it may happen repeatedly. It includes using physical force in a way that injures someone - or puts them at risk of being injured- including beating, hitting, shaking, pushing, choking, biting, burning, kicking, or assaulting with a weapon.1 Other forms of physical abuse may include, for example, rough handling, confinement, or any dangerous or harmful use of force or restraint. Sexual abuse and exploitation includes all forms of sexual assault, sexual harassment or sexual exploitation.2 Forcing someone to participate in unwanted, unsafe or degrading sexual activity, or using ridicule or other tactics to try to denigrate, control or limit their sexuality or reproductive choices is sexual abuse. Emotional abuse includes verbal attacks, such as yelling, screaming and name-calling. Using criticism, verbal threats, social isolation, intimidation or exploitation to dominate another person are other forms of emotional abuse. Criminal harassment or "stalking" may include threatening a person or their loved ones, damaging their possessions, or harming their pets.3 Economic or financial abuse includes stealing from or defrauding a partner.4 Withholding money that is necessary to buy food or medical treatment,5 manipulating or exploiting a person for financial gain, denying them access to financial resources, or preventing them from working (or controlling their choice of occupation) are also forms of economic abuse. Spiritual abuse includes using a person's religious or spiritual beliefs to manipulate, dominate or control them. It may include preventing someone from engaging in spiritual or religious practices, or ridiculing their beliefs. Abusive partners may use a number of different tactics to try to exert power and control over their victim. Abuse is a misuse of power and a violation of trust. The abuse may happen once, or it may occur in a repeated and escalating pattern over a period of months or years. The abuse may change form over time. Top HOW WIDESPREAD IS SPOUSAL ABUSE IN CANADA? It has been difficult to obtain a complete picture of the full extent of spousal abuse in Canada because it often remains hidden. A person who is being abused may endure the abuse for a long time before seeking support. Some victims never tell anyone about the abuse. A person who is being abused may be reluctant - or unable - to talk about or report abuse for many different reasons. For example, they may be emotionally attached to the abusive partner or have strong beliefs about keeping their relationship or family together. They may fear that the abuser will retaliate (against them or their loved ones) or they may fear being stigmatized by others. They may be economically dependent on the abusive partner. They may live in an isolated area, or be socially isolated from others. They may face communications, language or cultural barriers. They may feel ashamed or powerless and lack access to information, resources and support. In particular, victims may be reluctant to involve authorities because they: · do not want the abuser to be removed from the home, go to jail or have a criminal record · do not believe that involving the criminal justice system will stop the abuse, or they · do not believe that the criminal justice system can help or protect them. Many cases of spousal abuse are still not reported to the police - although there are some signs that reporting is increasing.6 The most complete information about the extent of spousal abuse in Canada comes from the 1999 General Social Survey on Victimization (GSS).7 This victimization survey asked almost 26,000 women and men in Canada about their experiences of abuse including experiences of violence and emotional abuse in their current or previous marriages and common law partnerships. According to the GSS, women and men experience similar rates of both violence and emotional abuse in their relationships. The survey found, however, that the violence experienced by women is tended to be more severe - and more often repeated - than the violence directed at men. For example, compared to men, women were: · six times more likely to report being sexually assaulted · five times more likely to report being choked · five times more likely to require medical attention, as a result of an assault · three times more likely to be physically injured by an assault · more than twice as likely to report being beaten · almost twice as likely to report being threatened with, or having a gun or knife used against them · much more likely to fear for their lives, or be afraid for their children as a result of the violence · more likely to have sleeping problems, suffer depression or anxiety attacks, or have lowered self-esteem as a result of being abused, and · more likely to report repeated victimization.8 Some researchers have noted that the survey also found that women experience higher levels of certain types of emotional abuse. Compared to men, women: · were four times more likely to report being threatened, harmed, or having someone close to them threatened or harmed · were four times more likely to report being denied access to family income · were more than twice as likely to report having their property damaged or their possessions destroyed · reported a higher incidence of being isolated from family and friends, and · reported a higher rate of name-calling and put downs.9 Homicide data reveals that women are also at higher risk of being killed by their husbands. In the past two decades, three times as many wives were killed by their husbands, as husbands killed by wives.10 The rate of spousal homicide is much higher for Aboriginal women and men.11 No national data on the prevalence of spousal abuse in same-sex relationships is available, however, there is a growing body of research that indicates that spousal abuse is a serious problem among both lesbian and gay couples.12 Top WHAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO SPOUSAL ABUSE? There is no single, definitive "cause" of spousal abuse, and anyone - regardless of gender, age, race, ethnicity, education, cultural identity, socioeconomic status, occupation, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental abilities or personality - may be vulnerable to being abused. Spousal abuse is a complex problem, and there are may be many different contributing factors - at the individual, relationship and societal level. Many experts, however, believe that spousal abuse is linked to inequalities among people in our society and to power imbalances in relationships. There is increasing understanding recognition that a person's vulnerability to abuse may be increased by factors such as dislocation,13 colonization,14 racism, homophobia, disability, poverty, and isolation.15 Aboriginal women, for example, are more likely to report being abused by a spouse.16 Lack of access to community services and supports, and to the criminal justice system, may further increase a person's vulnerability to being abused - or compound the effects of the abuse. Factors that increase risk Although they are not direct causes of abuse, recent statistics indicate that there are a number of factors that, alone or in combination, are associated with an increased risk of abuse. For example, some of the risk factors,17 for both men and women, include: · being a young person · living in a common law relationship · having a partner who periodically drinks heavily · emotional abuse in the relationship (an important predictor of physical violence, and · marital separation (women's risk of being killed increases after separation). No statistical information is available at this time about factors that are associated with an increased risk of abuse for individuals in same-sex relationships.

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2002

The Centers for Disease Control and Department of Justice estimate that each year 1.5 million women and 835,000 men are victims of domestic violence. This is from the National Violence Against Women survey.

MenWeb's battered men Web site (http://www.batteredmen.com) has a write-up on the CDC/DOJ study. It also has a link you can use to download the whole study (.PDF format)and check it out for yourself. (http://www.batteredmen.com/batrNVAWf.htm)

There are also links to Canadian and British reports, and reports on a lot of other studies and reports onthe subject. On the Battered Men home page, scroll down and look inthe left-hand column. "Latest Research Findings"

There's also information on dating violence at http://www.datingviolence.org/

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2002

I am a victim of spousal abuse. I am not writing my whole story right now because there are no dates on your study and I don't know if it is over or not. If you need to hear about it please contact me.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2002

I am a victim of intimate partner abuse and would like to tell you a little about what you are asking about. It may be a very interesting study for you. Thank you, Leslie

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2002

I need Help...I am a father of four chilren who after enduring years of spousal abuse has started criminal proceedings against wife....The bias shown by the Canadian Criminal System, starts with the investigating police officers not really wanting to procced with an investgation and laying crinal charges..(if the genders were reversed I would still trying to raise bail!).. and it appears to go downhill from there...has anyone reading been successful at this,any relevant case history's that could be of assistance??? Please forward I am financing this out of my pocket,while trying to save my childrens home!!Its a dificult battle and any assistance would be welcome. If meghan will allow it I will post updates.Thanking you in advance,boardpull4@hotmail.com PS I will answer all submissions

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2003

Many provinces in Canada (unfortunately for inocent men) have enacted Victims of Domestic Violence Laws. These laws allow (usually women) "victims" to have these spouses removed from their homes on an unproven whim. Since you are the actual victim, you should start proceedings by contacting your local victims services oganization. If they do as they are supposed to (hard to say what they will do for a man)they will arrange to serve your wife papers by a police officer, to immediately evict her from her home. Please be aware that since she is the female, they may do an about face at some point and serve you instead. Please understand that these laws are awful and I hope some day that they will be found unconstitutional, however, in the meantime it would be nice to see them used by a man to remove a violent woman. Good Luck. Ron

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2003