For hundreds of years, women have suffered from domestic violence. It wasn't until recently, that I was able to finally free myself from my ex-husband's abusive behaviors. I grew up in Peru where being abused by one's husband was common and it was accepted by society in general. My sisters, my female relatives, friends and neighbors in some way on a daily, weekly or even sporadically were abused by their husband. For it has take me years to realize; that domestic violence is not only being beaten by someone else, but also that it has various forms. For instance, I only considered being when I witnessed people around me being physically beaten, but not when they were being yelled at or insulted. It was after the police were called after one incident that I was brave enough to call the number being offered for help and assistance to victims. It was then, that I started to attend a counseling center that specializes in moral and psychological support for victims of domestic violence. At this center Called Women in Distress in Fort Lauderdale, I learned the types of domestic violence, its causes and consequences not only for the victims, but also on the children and society in general. Domestic violence is a burden, an illness, a disease in society that can be physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual with its own effect and consequences.
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What is domestic violence, anyway? It has been called by many names; wife beating, battering, family violence, domestic abuse. All refer to abuse by one person of another in an intimate relationship. The book, "When Men Batter Women", only discusses violence between adults in a current or former husband - wife relationship, living together, or dating relationship.
The equally complex and tragic problems of child abuse, elderly people abuse, and sibling abuse involves different issues and dynamics that are beyond the scope of this book.