Spouse Abuse

1
Spouse Abuse

• Statistics
• 2-12 million families in the US
• Long standing-severe problem
• 1.8 million battered wives
• Substance Abuse, esp Al CC
• Abusive men come from violent homes
• Abusers are immature, dependent,
  non- assertive, feelings of inadeaquacy

2
Course of Development

• Aggression and bullying behavior is designed to
  humiliate spouse and build upon their low
  self-esteem
• Displaced aggression
• 50 of battered wives grew up in violent homes
• Isolates spouse
• When they leave, 75 have a greater chance of
  being killed than the ones that stay
• Some men feel remorse and guilt (cry, give gifts,
  ask for forgiveness).

3
Pregnancy

• High risk time for battering
• 15-25 of pregnant women are physically abused
  while pregnant and abuse often results in birth
  defects

4
Rape

• 97,465 forcible rapes in 1995
• Highly under reported, estimated 4-5 out of 10
  are reported
• In 1995 72 of every 100,000 women in the US were
  forcibly raped.
• Women between the ages of 16-24 are at higher
  risk.

5
Definition of Rape

• Conventional perpetration of an act of sexual
  intercourse with a woman against her will and
  consent.
• Whether by force, coercion, threat of force,
  drugs/intoxicants, or due to mental deficiency is
  unable to exercise reasonable judgement or below
  the age of consent.
• Forced acts of fellatio and anal penetration,
  though frequently accompany rape are considered
  sodomy

6
Course of Development of Rape

• The rape event is frequently a life threatening
  situation.
• Humiliation is often used as part o the rape act.
• Effects may last a year or longer (PTSD)
• Usually depend on the level of violence of the
  attack.
• Therapy can restore the survivors sense of self
  esteem, adequacy, and control over her life.

7
Child Abuse

• Statistics
• 3 million cases reported, 1 million confirmed in
  1994
• In the US Child Abuse results in 2000-4000 deaths
  annually, 150,000-200,000 sexual abuse acts
  yearly against children
• 1/3-4 girls, 1/7-8 boys will be sexually
  assaulted before they are 18.
• Many go unrecognized and untreated.
• 32 less than 5 yo 27 5-9 yo 2710-14 yo 14
  15-18 yo
• Most child abuse is from parents (75), relatives
  (15) or unrelated caretakers (15)

8
Etiology

• Abusive parents have often been abused.
• Stressful living conditions
• Parents have mental disorder
• Children are premature, disabled, MR, physically
  disabled, cry excessively
• Abusive parents have unrealistic expectations
• Perp is more often mother than father
• Men are perps in 95 of cases of sexual abuse of
  girls and 15 sexual abuse of boys

9
Assessment

• Physical Indicators
• Suspicious bruises, marks that form symmetrical
  patterns
• Burns by cigarettes leave round marks and perfect
  lines are usually intentional scalding
• Retinal hemmorage in infants may be due to shaking

10
Suicide

• 30,000 people die per year by suicide in the US
• Attempts are 8-10 x higher (300,000)
• 75 suicides per day, 1 every 20 minutes
• Prime suicide site is the GGB, 800 since it
  opened in 1937

11
Prediction

• Goes up with age
• 10 of total pop older adults account for 25
  and those 75 and older have 3x that of young
  adults.
• Alcohol
• 15 are alcohol related
• 7000-13000 alcohol dep persons per year commit
  suicide
• 80 are male

12
Prediction Continued

• Impulsive and Angry
• Higher risk
• 40 of depressed patients who commit suicide have
  made a previous attempt.
• Men are 3x likely to use suicide as women
• Women are 4x more likely to attempt
• Men are more successful because of their methods.
• Suicide rate for males 15-24 is still rapidly
  rising
• For men 25-34 rate increased almost 30 over the
  past decade.