When Illinois residents hear the term domestic violence, they like may envision a situation where one partner is physically abusing or hurting the victim. The truth is that domestic violence takes on a number of forms. Physical harm is one aspect of domestic violence. However, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse and psychological abuse are all considered domestic violence.
A key aspect of domestic violence is the way that it makes the victim feel. The victim may feel helpless, they may doubt themselves, and it may affect their ability to live their life to the fullest. It is important that people have a clear understanding of what domestic violence is as this will allow them to determine if they are in an abusive situation and give them the tools necessary to possibly help others in that situation.
A relatively common scenario is one of a victim justifying the abusive actions of their abuser. They get to the point where they convince themselves that the situation will improve with time. Statistics show that far from improving over time, domestic violence situations usually get progressively worse. It may start with some form of verbal intimidation. Then, threats get physical, or sexual advances become aggressive.
In these circumstances, it’s not uncommon for a situation to escalate to the point where the victim is physically abused, raped or murdered. Children who grow up in environments with domestic violence may develop these behaviors as they get older.
Because of the broad definition of domestic abuse, it is possible for a person to be wrongly accused of this crime. When this happens, the accused individual may benefit from seeking the help of a criminal defense attorney. These attorneys serve a fundamental part of society in providing a counterbalance to the prosecution brought about by the state.