Types and Signs of Violence

TYPES OF VIOLENCE

Physical violence is direct or indirect impact on a victim with the aim of causing physical harm, manifested in mutilation, grievous bodily harm, beatings, kicks, slaps, pushes, slaps, throwing objects, etc.

Sexual violence is violent acts in which a person is forced, by force, threat, or deception, against their will, into any form of sexual relations.

Psychological violence is harm to a person's psychological health, manifested in insults, intimidation, threats, blackmail, and control.

Economic violence is material pressure, which can manifest as prohibiting work or study, withholding financial support, and complete control over expenses.

SIGNS OF VIOLENCE

Physical violence includes traces of blows, scars, cuts on the arms, face, legs, and other parts of the body, fractures or bruises, and burn marks.

Sexual violence includes unwanted sexual touching, forcing a person to undress, and forcing them into sexual contact.

Psychological violence includes constant shouting and threats directed at a person, swearing and the use of indecent words, humiliation, insults, intimidation, and establishing control, etc.

Financial exploitation includes denial of access to livelihood, strict financial control, unexpected financial problems or disappearance of money, concealment of income, use of a bank card when an elderly person cannot walk, and economic dependence on their abuser.

All forms of violence are closely interconnected. If an aggressor in a family practices physical violence, it undoubtedly causes emotional trauma, not just physical pain. Economic violence is often based on manipulation and control. Sexual violence is usually accompanied by physical injuries and consequences. As a rule, it is difficult to imagine a situation where an aggressor uses only one type of violence; victims often suffer from the simultaneous manifestation of various forms of it.
THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE
Rising Tension in the Relationship
Discontent in the relationship increases, and communication between family members deteriorates. The aggressor plans and "prepares" for the next incident. He/she may visualize the next attack. He/she revels in the power of realizing their fantasy. In most cases, the abuser is not aware of this internal "preparation" for various reasons. One of them may be the learned relationship "script" from their family of origin.

Violent Incident
A burst of verbal, emotional, or physical cruelty occurs. It is accompanied by rage, arguments, accusations, threats, and intimidation.

Reconciliation
The offender apologizes, explains the reason for the cruelty, shifts the blame to the victim, sometimes denies what happened, or convinces the victim that they are exaggerating the events.
It is difficult for the victim, and sometimes unbearable for the abuser, to be in a state of tension related to the act of violence. Therefore, to get rid of the "heavy burden" of responsibility, he/she takes certain actions. The offender provides justifications and blames the victim for his/her behavior. As a rule, the victim is blamed for their behavior. For example, "If you had cleaned the house, I wouldn't have had to hit you" or "If you had prepared dinner on time, I wouldn't have had to hit you." The person practicing violence does not repent for causing pain to their victim. They may apologize, but only to avoid potential punishment. The goal of this stage is to ensure their impunity.

"The Honeymoon Phase"
This is a difficult stage. After the abuse, the abuser may transform into the caring, loyal, and kind person the victim fell in love with. He/she may take them to a restaurant, buy flowers, and assure them that he/she will change. The goal is to keep the victim in the relationship and maintain a facade of normalcy. The abusive incident is forgotten, and the abuser is forgiven. Many women/men return to their abusive partners for this period when "everything is so good!", "just like when we first met!", "how much he/she loves me!". After the "honeymoon phase," the relationship returns to the first stage, and the cycle repeats. Over time, each phase becomes shorter, the outbursts of violence become more frequent, and cause more damage.