Defining & Identifying Different Forms of Domestic Violence

In addition to physical scars, domestic violence can leave deep, psychological impressions upon its survivors. Physical abuse can also severely affect one’s mental health, leaving long-lasting, permeating wounds that can be just as painful as those that are more easily-noticeable. Understanding how physical violence directly impacts an individual’s mental health is essential in the act of assisting survivors in their healing, and is even more important in the act of building the confidence and strength to leave an abusive situation of your own.

Physical abuse is a traumatic experience–regardless of the severity of injuries. Each violent incident adds to the mental burden, often accompanied by feelings of shame, paranoia, or depression. If untreated, this mental burden can alter brain chemistry, leading to noticeable changes in behavior, mood, and interests. Survivors may exhibit drastic shifts in mood, tone of voice, or body language, and may lose interest in previously enjoyed activities or relationships. This article will provide a comprehensive view over the most common dynamics of domestic violence, the impacts on the mental health of survivors of physical abuse, and the most common, unhealthy coping mechanisms that can help you identify if someone in your life may secretly be struggling.

Defining Physical Abuse
Physical abuse refers to any intentional use of physical force against another person that causes bodily harm, or the nonconsensual introduction of drugs, alcohol, or physical restraints to an unwilling person’s body. Sexual abuse–any act of nonconsensual sexual contact, coercion or manipulation, or forced photography or videography–is a subset that falls underneath physical abuse. Although technically considered separate categories, both neglect and abandonment are also often considered closely related to physical and mental and/or emotional abuse.

Neglect, whether through action or inaction, deprives a vulnerable person of essential care, such as food, water, adequate clothing, shelter, or medical treatment. Abandonment happens when a vulnerable person is left without the ability to obtain these basic necessities on their own.

Most Common Forms of Physical Abuse Today

Domestic Violence
This form of physical abuse occurs within the home, often among family members or close friends. Domestic violence is particularly painful because it is hard to expose and involves strong emotional ties between survivors and abusers. It is an umbrella term for any abusive dynamic within a shared living space, and can include child abuse if the victims are minors or dependents.

Institutional or Systemic Abuse
This overarching term can refer to more specific forms of abuse similar to domestic violence, but refers to situations that take place in a more professional setting, such as a hospital, an assisted-living facility, an educational institution, a place of employment, or even a branch of an important public or government service–such as a police station or prison. This kind of abuse can be even more difficult to uncover than domestic violence, especially when considering the inherent structures and hierarchies that exist within these settings–but they have the capacity to be equally, if not more nefarious than domestic violence because it can impact large groups of people.

Although sexual abuse has many variations, it’s important to note that any unwanted advance—no matter how brief or seemingly insignificant—is still defined as sexual harassment. No one deserves to be made uncomfortable, no matter the time or place, or relationship dynamic.

Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is a specific form of physical abuse, which means it can take place in either a domestic setting, or on a much larger, institutional or systemic level. Regardless of its classification, sexual abuse refers to any nonconsensual or unwanted sexual contact or act, such as coerced nudity, photography, or videography. It’s important to note that while sexual abuse is most-often perpetrated by someone who has a pre-established sense of trust or comfort with their victim(s), like family members or close friends, sexual abuse can also come from the hands of strangers.

There are an abundance of resources available online that discuss the warning signs of potentially-dangerous situations or individuals, or guides on how to navigate a previous sexual abuse experience–including a more modern distinction of sexual violence, which occurs during the use of ride-sharing services like Uber or Lyft. 

Child Abuse
This form of physical abuse is specifically regarding the use of physical force to injure or otherwise harm minors. Most commonly, the perpetrators of child abuse are those who are most-often around children and have the opportunities to take advantage of their inherent authority. Child abusers often manipulate their young victims, telling them that exposing their actions will cause the abuser to become upset with the victim, or could even result in both the victim and the abuser getting into trouble.

Abusers tend to target people who aren’t capable of defending themselves or speaking out against them—and in one of the most sinister forms of abuse, minors are widely-considered as the most common subset of abuse survivors.

In instances where minors are being sexually-abused, the abusers are still most-commonly adults who are around children more frequently, such as family members, educators or coaches, therapists, or academic advisors. This means that a case involving an educator abusing a minor would be classified as a case of institutional or systemic, sexual abuse against a minor. If you and a minor you know is involved in a potentially-dangerous or -abusive situation, you can report the situation to trusted professionals who take care of potential and serious cases of child abuse across the country.

Elder Abuse
Similarly to child abuse, elder abuse is another form of physical abuse that’s specific to its demographic–but one that focuses on senior citizens who are often physically- or financially-vulnerable to abuse. These cases are more common around hospitals, assisted living or long-term care facilities, or in the home from caretakers or family members.

Another demographic frequently wrapped up in domestic abuse is the elderly. Similar to instances of abuse against minors, elderly folk are often preyed upon due to their physical- and financial-dependence on others.

It is most common for elder abusers to employ intentional neglect as a tactic in these situations because their victims are often unable to care for themselves. If you and an adult you know is experiencing abuse or you suspect that they are, you can report the situation to trusted professionals who handle similar cases all over the country.

Resource List
A comprehensive list of the resources found in this blog post–in order of appearance.

• “Trauma and Violence.” Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 

• “What is Domestic Violence?” U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).

• “Institutional Sexual Assault and Abuse.” Sinas Dramis Personal Injury Law Firm.

• “Rideshare Sexual Assault: What to Do.” Helping Survivors.

• “Child Care Health and Safety Violations: State and Territory Reporting Information.” ChildCare.gov.

• “Learning about Abuse.” National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA).