Domestic violence and sexual assault often occur together, with abusers using sexual abuse to maintain control. Domestic violence includes physical, psychological, and sexual abuse within a home, and can occur from family members or spouses. Sexual assault is a crime regardless of the relationship. Domestic violence and sexual assault are symptomatic of an abuser attempting to control victims. Male-to-female abuse is the most prevalent form, and childhood abuse can lead to future abusers. Reporting all cases of suspected abuse is crucial.
Domestic violence and sexual assault are often linked terms. In the United States in 2007, a study published by the Center for Disease Control showed that more than half of all female sexual assault victims and about one third of male victims were assaulted by a family member or a intimate partner. The relationship between domestic violence and sexual assault is quite complex; in many cases, abusers use sexual abuse as a means to maintain control over their victims.
Sexual assault is considered a type of domestic violence. The scope of domestic violence is quite broad and includes physical attacks such as beatings, psychological or mental torment, and sexual crimes. Domestic violence refers to any type of attack conducted within the physical or emotional confines of a home; it can include abuse from family members, unrelated people living in the same household, or abuse from a spouse. In most regions, any type of sexual assault is a crime, regardless of the relationship.
Domestic violence and sexual assault are not always connected. There are certainly many cases of physical and mental abuse in domestic relationships where the crimes do not veer into the sexual realm. Domestic sexual assault, however, is more likely in situations where other forms of abuse are also present. According to one study, up to three-quarters of battered women in shelters reported sexual assault and physical abuse.
Often, domestic violence and sexual assault are symptomatic of the same problem: an abuser attempting to control the victims. Physical and mental abuse are both means by which an abuser can make themselves feel empowered while making victims fearful of help, helpless, or even deserving of the treatment. Some experts suggest that sexual assault is potentially the most psychologically damaging form of domestic violence, as victims may feel shame and guilt about the abuse and fear ostracized for reporting the crime.
Between spouses or intimate partners, domestic violence and sexual assault share a long history of legal penalties. Up until the mid-20th century, few regions made marital rape of a woman a crime, based on the idea that marriage involved consent to sexual activity. Even in the 20th century, some parts of the world still give men the right to beat, abuse or rape their wives, in the belief that a wife is technically the husband’s property. Although domestic violence and intimate partner sexual abuse occur in same-sex relationships and from female to male partners, male-to-female abuse still remains the most prevalent form.
With regard to children, it is well known that domestic violence and sexual assault have long-lasting and devastating psychological effects. Many studies have shown a correlation between abusers and their own history of childhood abuse. Understanding the potential for victims to develop into future abusers has led many experts to strongly emphasize the importance of reporting all cases of suspected abuse, regardless of society’s concerns about privacy.
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