Intimate Partner Abuse Case Study

Every year, nearly 10 million men and women are abused by an intimate partner in the United States. Intimate partner violence or IPV is defined as any behavior within an intimate relationship that causes physical, psychological, or sexual harm to those in the relationship (Burgess, Regerhr, & Roberts, 2013). Acts of physical aggression include slapping, punching, kicking, beating, and biting. 20 individuals are victims of physical violence every minute in the United States. Psychological maltreatment is the hardest form of abuse to detect, however it can cause long-term detrimental consequences such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Displays of psychological maltreatment include, but are not limited to verbal attacks, isolating the victim,
During this phase the inevitable result of escalating tension and anger brings out the most abusive violence. It is usually triggered by the presence of an external event or by the abuser’s emotional state (Becho, Burge, Ferrer, Katerndahl, & Wood, 2016). This means that the start of the battering episode is unpredictable and beyond the victim’s control. The acute battering incident is distinguished from other kinds incidents because of the intense discharge, major destructiveness, and extreme emotional release at its most negative (Newman, 2010). The victim often feels depressed and may present signs of anxiety because she knows that the battering is about to ensue and that there is nothing that she can do to stop the incident from escalating. After the battering has occurred the abuser minimizes the severity of the incident and sometimes blames the victim for what has just transpired. Throughout the incident phase it is not uncommon for the abuser to threaten his victim. In the movie, Mitch threatened Slim on multiple occasions. He told her that if she left him, he would kill her and that if she contacted the police he would plant drugs on her in order to get custody of their daughter. When children are exposed to intimate partner violence they are at risk of experiencing psychological trauma. Exposure to intimate partner violence is increasingly being recognized as a form of child
After much research, I discovered a non-profit organization called National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCAVD). Their public policy is to promote legislation and strategies that serve and protect victims and survivors of domestic violence, and to work to change the narrative surrounding domestic violence. Not only do they promote awareness, but they also provide training and resources about domestic violence for communities, advocates and victims. Additionally, NCAVD offers a direct service program where they provide the victim with housing, help with job searches, and assist with medical bills that resulted from the them being abused. NCAVD seeks macro-level change in order to create a society in which domestic violence is never tolerated or minimized, in which victims and survivors are respected, and in which service providers have the resources to serve all victims and survivors (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2016). Their mission is to educate both through awareness and training, and to provide support to IPV victims. I feel as though this program addresses the issue of Intimate partner violence very well because first the best form of prevention is spreading awareness, and two victims are more likely to leave their abuser if they have a support system. In the movie, Slim was financially dependent on her husband and had no