Domestic abuse is a pattern of behavior aimed at gaining and maintaining control over a spouse through physical, verbal, psychological, sexual, and financial abuse. The cycle of abuse includes a hoarding stage, abuse stage, recovery period, and honeymoon phase. Victims should seek help from domestic abuse organizations or the police.
Domestic abuse is described as the abuse or mistreatment of a spouse or spouse. It encompasses many types of abuse, including physical, verbal, psychological, sexual, and financial abuse. While an abuser may or may not choose to abuse other people, the spouse or spouse in a domestic abuse situation is the primary target.
Domestic abuse involves a pattern of behavior intended to gain and maintain control over one’s spouse or spouse. Often the abusers either blame their victims for the abuse or deny it altogether. However, the abuse is not caused by the behavior of the victim. Instead, it is caused by the abuser’s need to dominate at all costs.
There are well-defined cycles of domestic abuse. The first stage of the domestic abuse cycle is the hoarding stage. During this stage, tension builds and the abuser may start to get angry. There is often a breakdown in communication. During this stage, the victim often attempts to keep the abuser calm and may feel as if she is walking on eggshells.
In the next stage of domestic abuse, the actual abuse begins. The attack can be verbal, emotional, sexual or physical. However, the intent is always the same: to control and harm the victim.
In some relationships, a combination of types of abuse is inflicted. For example, the abuser may start with verbal attacks and escalate the attack to include hitting. Unfortunately, in some situations, sexual abuse may precede or follow physical or verbal abuse.
The next stage of domestic abuse can be described as the recovery period. During this time, the abuser may apologize, promising that he will never act like that again. On the other hand, many abusers don’t apologize at all and instead choose to blame the victim for the abuse. Sometimes, an abuser may deny the abuse episode altogether or claim that it was not as bad or harmful as the victim claims.
The last stage of domestic abuse, before the cycle starts again, is a period of calm. During this stage, the abuser may act as if the abuse never happened. This phase is often referred to as the honeymoon phase, as the abuser often performs well towards the victim and can deliver on promises made during the make-up phase. The aggressor can give the victim gifts. As a result, the victim may begin to harbor hope that the abuse is over.
Sadly, the cycle of domestic abuse repeats itself over and over again until someone stops it. Each stage varies in length, from a few hours to a year at a time. Often the make up and calm down phases disappear with time.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, don’t waste a minute hoping that something will change. Seek help from a domestic abuse organization to learn how to extricate yourself from the situation safely. If you are being physically or sexually abused, contact the police right away for help.
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