Between the years 2001-2012, there was almost double the number of women killed by domestic violence in the US than troops at war in Afghanistan and Iraq. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 6,488 US troops were killed in Afghanistan and Iraq combined, while 11,766 women in the US were killed due to domestic violence. Domestic violence (DV) is defined as, “violent or aggressive behavior within the home, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse or partner” (Oxford Living Dictionary). This is an issue that transcends race, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, etc. Domestic violence can be in the form of physical, mental, sexual, verbal, and emotional abuse. Not DV is a huge problem in the United States that not only leads to thousands of deaths per year, but millions of dollars in health costs is being spent towards it. There are currently several resources for women who find themselves in abusive situations. Some efforts include the National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and National Center for Domestic Violence. These programs allow women to report their abusers and explain their situations, seek help with escaping their circumstances, and dealing with any consequences of the trauma they faced. Domestic violence alters women’s self-esteem, how they interact with others, and leads to several mental disorders. The purpose of this paper is to inform readers of how domestic violence impacts women mentally. 

According to Leslie Steiner, a former victim of domestic violence, there are four steps to the abuse. First is to seduce and charm the victim. The abuser has to get the victim in a relationship and comfortable with them and also trust their significant other. Next, the victim must be isolated from their family, friends, and other people in general. This causes them to be completely dependent on their significant other. Their abuser becomes the only familiar person around them. Next, after the abuser has their victim’s trust and they are isolated, the violence begins. The threat of violence is introduced via physical, emotional, verbal, or mental abuse.  The third stage lasts the longest, after the continued abuse, the last step is to kill the victim or for the victim to finally leave.

 Self-esteem is a person’s confidence in their own abilities and worth; it is having self-respect. Domestic violence leads to decreased self-esteem in women because takes away their sense of self. “Experts believe that although low self-esteem can be compounded by abuse; it results from numerous factors and is a serious issue for victims of domestic violence” (Bradshaw, 2013). Factors that influence low self-esteem in domestic violence victims include being financially dependent on their partner, constant verbal abuse, and fear for one’s personal safety. Low self-esteem is also one of the main reasons victims remain in their abusive situations. Women with no self-esteem believe that they deserve such treatment and are unable to do better than their current situation. This is the reason abusers try to diminish their victim’s self-esteem first because it makes them more dependent on the other and less likely to fight back. 

Due to the fear, low self-esteem, and isolation, domestic violence alters how women interact with others. “The chronic exposure to domestic violence—and the stress fear resulting from this exposure—can cause not only immediate physical injury, but also mental shifts that occur as the mind attempts to process trauma or protect the body” (Joyful Heart Foundation). After being abused for so long, women become less expressive and start to get quitter. The loss of sense of self is the main reason for this. Experiencing abuse in a relationship can create more distance between a woman and her peers. This experience is not one that is often shared with one’s family or friends until it is too late or escalates significantly. Women feel embarrassed and ashamed to be in this position and fear what others will think of them. Abusers often make their victim believe that the situation they are in is their fault. “These women believe that they are strong and in love with a deeply troubled man and they’re the only one that can save him” (Leslie Steiner, 2013). The mental disorders associated with domestic violence can also cause distance between a victim and her family and friends. These disorders include PTSD, depression, social phobia, panic disorder/anxiety, antisocial behavior, suicidal thoughts, etc. 

Depression is one of the major mental disorders associated with domestic violence. Depression is caused by a change in brain chemistry when there is a lack of dopamine and there is a change in hormone levels. Depression causes someone to get less sleep, change in appetite, change in energy level, and the ability to function. The constant physical abuse, insults and put downs, emotional abuse, etc. can cause a woman to go into a depressive state. Abused women often feel helpless and hopeless, these two things play into them becoming depressed. A longitudinal study on depression in women who faced domestic violence found that “severity of depression decreased once abuse ceased” (Karakurt, 2014). Several other studies have been able to show that depression can be directly linked to domestic violence. A major consequence of depression is suicidal thoughts and suicidal tendencies. 

Suicide is another mental disorder that abused women often face; this accompanies depression. “And one out of every four women who are the victims of domestic violence attempt suicide” (Suicide.org). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is mental and emotional stress that occurs as a result of injury or severe psychological shock. Domestic violence survivors commonly suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Surprisingly, it is the emotional component of domestic violence that leads to post-traumatic stress disorder. “Women who resort to taking refuge in shelters as a result of domestic violence are at a higher risk for PTSD than other victimized women” (Babbel, 2011). Depression is one of the chronic effects of post-traumatic stress disorder that arises from domestic abuse. Women who are in these violent situations feel abandoned, betrayed, and hopeless when someone they trust becomes their abuser. Anxiety disorders are another common mental disorder associated with domestic violence. Feelings of panic and fear characterize anxiety disorders. The high stress situations victims are put in lead to social anxiety and panic disorders. 

The mental impact of domestic violence to women is severely damaging and sometimes chronic. Many women cannot receive the care and help they need because it is withheld from them by their partners. Once a woman finally escapes her situation, there are several national and local programs to help domestic abuse survivors or people still facing abuse cope and receive the help they need. A well-known program is The National Domestic Violence Hotline. This service is available nationwide and intended to help victims and survivors report their abuser, find a safe place to be, and provide immediate support. Each state has its hotline that people can call anonymously to seek aid. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence is a widely known national program that helps women become survivors. They provide cosmetic and reconstructive support to women who were badly physically injured by their abuser, financial education and support, safety advisement, etc. The financial education and support is intended to help survivors become more financially independent, responsible, help them get back on their feet. This program provides access to domestic violence shelters for women who have escaped their abuser and have no place to go or need the support from other people who understand their situation. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence also provides legal assistance to those that need it, especially women who have children with their abuser. They not only try to get these women custody of their children, they aid in helping put the abuser in jail. Each state has several domestic violence shelters for women that help them assimilate back into a normal, healthy lifestyle. Most of these shelters provide therapy sessions of some form to help women express themselves, build up their self-esteem, talk about their situation, and reclaim their sense of self. 

While there are several programs that assist people in escaping their abuser and aid them after the fact, there are better ways to go about the issue. Firstly, there needs to be several more programs that educate people about domestic violence, abuse, and how to behave. These programs need to start with children from as young as middle school age. A program like this should focus on educating males about how to treat women and interact with their peers. It needs to illustrate for kids how damaging and detrimental domestic violence can be. Domestic abuse is an issue that happens to both genders, so of course the same information should be taught to female students. These children also need to be educated about how to recognize the signs and symptoms of domestic abuse so they can get out of that situation early on. Future programs need to focus on educating the youth about what domestic violence is, how to identify it, how to remove one’s self from an abusive situation, how to seek help, etc. Programs should also teach about risk factors of domestic violence so people will be able to identify their risk and try to do something about it.

This same type of program should be extended and retaught to high school and college students because domestic violence transcends age. Once people are more educated about a topic, they will be more likely to avoid or recognize a certain situation. There is no way to completely prevent people from abusing others so education and aid to victims is the best route. Many of these programs need to actively implement therapy into their aid package. Victims of domestic abuse need to talk about their situation in order to cope and move on. They also need the verbal communication in order to overcome their mental disorders along with medicine. Domestic violence shelters are important because they offer a community of women who have all faced a traumatic experience the opportunity to help each other in the healing process. This allows the women to see that they are not alone or hopeless. Seeing people who were in the same situation as you overcome it and prosper can be inspiring and give them hope. There also need to be more programs to help abusers address their problems and why they feel the need to be abusive. If abusers can receive the psychological and medical aid they need to help them stop their nonsense, then there may be less cases of domestic violence in the United States. 

Additionally, abusers should face harsher punishment, such as longer jail sentences, for their actions. Many abusers lead their victims to suicide and severe psychological damage and receive short sentences or no sentence at all. They should also automatically lose custody of the children their children because clearly, they are unable to control their emotions, aggression, and anger. Abusers not only endanger the women, but also their children whenever they create an uncomfortable, hostile environment. Future programs for domestic abuse victims should make it easier for them to find a job and gain/keep custody of their children. Many survivors struggle to find work after leaving their abuser because they were not the main financial provider in their household and oftentimes are completely dependent on their significant other for financial support. This is very damaging because the women automatically loses power, and once leaving this situation, is unaware and unable to hold a job. Another reason it is hard to find work is because of their mental disorders. Finding a keeping employment is crucial to a survivor finding their independence. Hundreds of women lose their children in a custody battle to their abusers annually. Programs for domestic violence victims should actively help these women gain custody of their children. 

Overall, domestic abuse is a significant problem in the United States that impacts several aspects of society. This issue also affects hundreds of women annually. “About 4,000 women die each year due to domestic violence” (Domestic Abuse Shelter of The Florida Keys). Abuse is an issue many women do not see coming until it is too late. There are several different types of abuse which makes it difficult to notice and recognize a situation as abusive. This is a problem that can be faced by anyone despite their gender, sexuality, class, or age. Once the cycle begins, it is extremely difficult to break out of it, and oftentimes, women may be more at risk when they attempt to escape. Domestic violence costs the United States millions in healthcare per year because victims are so traumatized and psychologically damaged. Domestic abuse leads to several mental disorders and women, significantly reduces their self-esteem and sense of self, and changers how they interact with others. All of these factors can cause a victim of abuse to become a shadow of their former self because it changes them so much. 

There are several programs across the nation to help victims with their situation, but they could be better. The nation is lacking a program that educates people from a young age about all the aspects, risk factors, warning signs, etc. of domestic abuse. Once these types of programs are implemented, the number or cases of abuse should decrease. Women are the group that is most affected by domestic violence, and it is about time that the country did something about it. 
