Its been a while since I posted something so I would like to apologise to all my readers for that. today I will be addressing intimate partner violence.
An intimate partner is a person with whom one has a close personal relationship that can be characterized by the following: Emotional connectedness. Regular contact. Ongoing physical contact and/or sexual behavior.
Intimate partner violence describes physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current or former intimate partner or spouse. This type of violence can occur among heterosexual or same-sex couples.
Violence by an intimate partner is linked to both immediate and long-term health, social, and economic consequences. Factors at all levels -individual, relationship, community, and societal -contribute to intimate partner violence. Preventing intimate partner violence requires reaching a clear understanding of those factors, coordinating resources, and fostering and initiating change in individuals, families, and society.
Types of Intimate Partner Violence
· Physical violence is the intentional use of physical force (e.g., shoving, choking, shaking, slapping, punching, burning, or use of a weapon, restraints, or one's size and strength against another person) with the potential for causing death, disability, injury, or physical harm.
· Sexual violence the use of physical force to compel a person to engage in a sexual act unwillingly, whether or not the act is
completed.
· Threats of physical or sexual violence communicate the intent to cause death, disability, injury, or physical harm through the use of words, gestures, or weapons.
Psychological/emotional violence
Traumatizes the victim by acts, threats of acts, or coercive tactics (e.g., humiliating the victim, controlling what the victim can and cannot do, withholding information, isolating the victim from friends and family, denying access to money or other basic resources). In most cases, emotional violence has been preceded by acts or threats of physical or sexual violence.
Stalking is often included among types of intimate partner violence. Stalking generally refers to harassing or threatening behavior that an individual engages in repeatedly, such as sending the victim unwanted presents
Equality in relationships means that partners will have to cooperate and contribute to the relationship or household without being intimidated or without intimidating the other partner.
THE CYCLE OF IPV
This is the cross generational transfer of violence. They start tension due to disagreement then violence and then the honey moon phase where the perpetrator sweet talks the victim or buy him/her gift then the cycle repeats
We can not over look sexuality when dealing with IPV
Sexuality involves
Feelings
Desire
Intercourse
Expression
These four are somehow interlinked i.e. sensuality, intimacy, identity and sexual health.
SENTUALITY: is how our bodies and get and give pleasure.
INTIMACY/RELATINSHIPS: is the part of sexuality that deals with relationships.
SEXUAL HEALTH: involves our behavior related to producing children, enjoy sexual behaviors, and maintaining our sexual and reproductive organs.
SEXUALITY TO CONTROL OTHERS:
Unfortunately, many people use sexuality to violate someone else or to get something from another person. E.g. rape is used as an act of war or for supremacy.
IDENTITY
The following things contribute to identity in one way or the other:
Biological sex- male, female and intersex
Gender roles- masculine and feminine
Gender identity- how one feels about themselves ie masculine or feminine or neither regardless of their gender and or sex.
Sexual orientation- who one is attracted to sexually, intimately and romantically
Heterosexual Bisexual Homosexual
EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
One realizes this if through their communication they get feedback, if they get results, if they are understood, if the information is interpreted well.
We were taught how to deal with someone shouting at you and that it is important to cool off.
Pointers to help one not to be victims or perpetrators of IPV. Which are ;
- Constructive communication
- Control temper and dealing with emotions without being violent
- Power of introspection (empathy)
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