1.0 Domestic violence, PTSD and women
Research has proven that battering and violence in the families are major causes of post-traumatic stress disorders among the victims (PTSD). The problem of intimate patner violence has become a very widespread calamity in the world today. It involves physical or bodily assaults, emotional distress, and traumatizing responses by one patner to another.Women in particular, form the larger population of people experiencing domestic violence. This makes them to be most vulnerable to mental disorders that result from experiencing violence, and in particular PTSD. According to a study by Loring Jones, Margaret Ughes and Ulrike Unterstaller, battered women are great victims of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD. The research conducted sort to realize how to effectively treat PTSD in women. It also sought to identify how battering women results in PTSD.
Loring, Margret and Ulrike, conducted a research by use of the systematic research synthesis method (SRS) to show the inter-relatedness of PTSD and domestic violence. The questions addressed PTSD in women because of battering. The findings of the study showed that cases of domestic violence showed similar symptoms to those of PTSD. This study was quite important in gathering information for use to treat battered women. It is quite relevant in relating the impacts of domestic abuse with PTSD. It also shows the importance of establishing programs to reach out to the poor women and prevent them from abuse since they normally form the most vulnerable lot. This study also helps signify the importnance of provision of therapy upon battered women. This is inorder to overcome trauma and for changing adopted negative attitudes.
Another study linked the impacts of domestic violence, substance abuse and PTSD rates among women. The study showed that the women who have experiences physical abuse and sexual harrassments since their childhood are highly likely to experiencing PTSD. From the research, it is evident that negative relationship behaviors are built out of abuse. Women are not only victims of these negative relationship behaviours but also facilitators. This means that it is not just about the woman receiving assaults form the patner but the vice versa happens and can lead to stress either way.
The study was conducted by use of the Conflict Tactics Scale-Revised(CTS2) method. It assessed emotional and physical disturbance in women in their entire lifetime whether caused by their patners or by themselves. The findings showed considerable rates of violence among women in different life stages. The results showed a relation between the abuse experienced since one was young till present, and their increased negative relationship behaviours.The importance of this study is evident in the use of the information gathered in understanding the effects of exposure to violence upon women and how this can lead to PTSD. The information in this study is relevent in showing that it is not only the violence caused by others to women that leads to PTSD, but also the violence they project towards other people, and particularly against their patners. There is need to note that domestic violence interacts with other factors resulting in PTDS and other mental disturbances. These multiple factors include the victim’s surroundings, the aggressivenes of the partner who facilitated the violence and other factors.
2.0 Domestic Violence, Children and PTSD
Contrary to the assumption that domestic violence only involves adults in the family, children are also main victims of violence. They may experience it first hand or witness it but both situations have adverse consequences upon the children’s emotional and behavioral development. Exposure to marital violence impacts negatively on the child even though they are rarely the target of such. Depending on the child and the particular form of violence he or she has been exposed to, the effects may last a long or a short time. Studying the depth of impact possible upon a child who has been exposed to violence can be challenging. This is because the child may not know how to express this. The background of the child may also not be very transparent to many people from the outside, hence a child may be a victim for a long time before it us noted.
The outcome of marital violence upon children are not standard. A child may be more affected by some particular level of marital violence while another child in a similar position will face the same in a strong way and probably overcome it. However, generally, majority of the children will exhibit certain reactions in response. These inlude aggressive behavior, lack of discipline, fear, worry, metal disturbance and general withdrawal. This might also be a problem for the child while in school. This article is quite relevant in displaying the relation of domestic violence to PTSD. It is important in undertsanding how children can end up with depression from violence that occurs in their homes, which should on the contrary be providing security and love. It is relevant in understanding how the progress of growth in children, adolescents and teenagers is impacted by exposure to domestic violence at some point in their lives.
The fact that children are often present when the parents fight exposes the children to violence at a tender age thus icreasing the rate PTSD among the exposed children. In their book Agression and violent behavior, Sarah E. Evans, Corrie Davies, David DiLillo noted that different genders and different ages reciprocate differently to exposure of domestic violence. They said that children who have been exposed to violence are bound to develop increase in suppression of issues and problems with self expression.
The study was conducted by use of a meta-analysis. Findings showed report of depression, fear and anxiety among children exposed to violence. In their growth these children display high levels of behavioral problems and are likely to be physically brutal. This is also seen when the children are in school. Such can also be displayed in form of repeat experiences as they grow up, such as hallucinations, bad dream,extraordinary fear and withdrawal tendencies. Hence this article is quite relevant in relating domesic violence with PTSD. It would help in developing the basis for any counselling and treatment to be offererd to such victims.
Another study aimed at collecting further information that would relate effects of domestic violence upon children and PTSD showed the difference in behaviour and emotional stability between a child who had been exposed to violence compared to another who had not. This research involved a study among a sample number of students. Other variables such as sex, age and stage were also put into consideration. The results would be used in understanding the developmental results in a child who has experienced violence.
The study was conducted by the use of a meta-analysis and critiuue method. This involved analysis of a number of previous studies.The findings proved that a childs’ emotional balance and behavioural status can be influenced by the exposure to violence in their younger stages. This study is important in understnding the effect of domestic violence in the development of a child as well s the factors that impact their mentl stabiliy. This article therefore is very relevant in relating domestic violence with PTSD. it helps understand the place of marital aggression in the lives of children who witness them.
3.0 Domestic Violence, men and PTSD
Most studies conducted show high levels of PTSD on women in relation to domestic violence, however, men too have similar experiences from the same effects. A study was conducted with male subjects to determine the risk of getting PTSD among men who have experienced intimate terrorism(IT) versus men who sustain common couple violence(CCV). Those who sustain IT are more likely to contact PTSD as compared to those who undergo CCV. Intimate violence differs from CCV in that it is more violent and very dictatory in nature.
This study involved two samples of studies of men; one a helps seeking group the other a community sample. The men had to have experienced some violence of any form from their partners. The findings suggest that between 25-50% of men experience IT. It was evident that the victims of IT have extremely high chances of experiencing PTSD.This study is quite important in assesing the impacts of violence projected upon men by their patners. This article is relevant in relating domestic violence and PTSD. The results of the study can be of great help in understanding and offering treatment upon the different men experiencing IPV.
4.0 Repeat Violence due to PTSD
Research has shown that PTSD can lead to a repeat experience of the violence that led to it in the first place. Intimate partner violence(IPV) is a reknown cause of PTSD. Distressed victims are quite susceptible. They are therefore likely to find themselves experiencing similar situations again. The relationship between PTSD and repeat experiences of IPV are quite evident as victims become violently aggressive towards others and to their patners. In this study, four particular symptoms of PTSD are used to study these reapeat harassments. They include repeated experiences, evasion, provocation and trauma. Trauma is a major cause of increase of IPV among the depressed partners. The study also showed that evasion could actually reduce the risk of repeat abuse since the person in such a situation will do their best to avoid their partners. The study showed that the symptoms of provocation and repeat experiences were not related to re-occurrence of IPV in the future.
The methods used included research conducted on a number of participants. The outcomes of the study showed that vuctims re-experienced IPV after contracting PTSD. It proved that with re-experience, more ggression is developed and depression levels rise. It is ultimately released as a long upheld upsurge which may be in form of aggressive IPV. This study was quite relevant in relating PTSD and domestic violence. It is important in providing a base for understanding victims of PTSD who turn out more vigorous and aggressive. Hence this study is quite relevant in explaining the hazard of uncontrolled PTSD in relation to IPV.
There is a correlation between the different forms of interpersonal traumas experiences, such as child abuse, sexual harrasments, witnessing maternal violence and any other traumatizing experiences in the victim’s life. Some of these have been characterized by re-occurrences. This study showed that for people who have been victims of childhood sexual harrassment often childhood physical abuse as well. These characterize interpersonal violence. Childhood physical and sexual abuse leads the victims to develop cognitive, behavioral and emotional distress and such children only get worse. They most likely experience further abuse even as they approach adolescence and towards adulthood.
This study was conducted among a number of participants. Findings showed that the contractors of PTSD are most likely victims of number of interpersonal violences. It also showed that the more the situations are repeated, the more vulnerable one becomes to increasing levels of PTSD. Hence this study was quite relevant in relating domestic violence and PTSD. It is important in explaining the relationship between interpersonal experiences and the increase of levels of PTSD. It shows how child physical abuse, child sexual abuse, exposure to marital violences and PTSD relate.
5.0 Coping with PTSD
Victims of PTSD have different ways of coping with the situation. The one given emphasis in this study is the avoidant coping. This method is characterized by efforts of denying and evading memories concerning the violence and its details. This method does not embrace efforts to deal with the situation, it all focuses on avoiding it. Research has showed that the avoidance approach can be quite problematic. Though it is a symptom that is evident in most victims of IPV and in other forms of violence, it is not exactly releaving since it only piles up emotional issues that are not dealt with. This article is therefore very relevant in relating PTSD and domestic violence. It is important in explaining why avoidant coping is a lead to advancement of PTSD. Information gatherd is used to analyse the risk of avoidant coping and explain the importance of accepting to deal with the causes of PTSD.
Different forms and levels of exposure has also proved to be helpful in coping with traumatic experience. A study was conducted to test the level of disclosure of victims of IPV. It also aimed at understanding whether this disclosure brought benefits or harm to those who chose to get help. Disclosure by victims of IPV is quite an important aspect of the recovery process. It involves extended security upon the victim to ensure that the violence projected against them is terminated in the future. Disclosure is also important because it gives the institutions that provide related services to patients of PTSD an opportunity to approximate the percentage of the population experiencing IPV and PTSD.
Interviews with a number of participants were used in this study. Findings gathered targeted at relating diclosure with the ecology of human development. This theory is based on the belief that a person’s behavior can be best understood by focusing on internal factors, interations with one’s relatives and his culture, the external environment, and the economical, social and political factors surrounding the person. This research is quite important since it analyses factors that influence disclosure of a victim of IPV. It is also of great relevance in understanding the importnace of disclosure in relation to reducing the levels of PTSD.
References
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