Effects of domestic violence on women

Abused women experience conflicting emotions such as fear, anger, shame, resentment, sadness and powerlessness.

They live in fear, unable to predict when the next attack will come. They often blame themselves for the abuse, or deny it is taking place. They may ignore it, hoping it won’t happen again.

Abused women become isolated from family and friends and increasingly dependent on the abuser. In this situation it can be hard to make sense of what is really happening.

The abused woman hopes the violence will end. She believes her partner – the man she loves – will change.

Over time her self esteem is worn down. She starts to believe the insults and criticism. It’s a mistake to think that abused women are submissive victims. It takes a lot of strength to stay with an abusive partner. Women have to be strong and resourceful, adopting all kinds of coping strategies and survival techniques.

They may feel weak and helpless, but in reality they have an enormous amount of strength. That strength is used on surviving from day to day.

• There are psychological parallels between the impact of torture and imprisonment on hostages and the impact of domestic violence.
• Abused women can develop post-traumatic stress which includes a range of symptoms: agitation and anxiety, depression, panic attacks, trouble sleeping or relaxing, numbness, sense of isolation, nightmares.
• A study of the use of health services by domestic violence survivors found:
  - 18% see a doctor in the first year of abuse;
  - 56% after the second year;
  - 31% have no contact until the third year.

For more on the effects of domestic violence on women, try reading Power and Control by Sandra Horley OBE, chief executive of Refuge.