BEHS 453 Discussion 1: Emotional Abuse UMGC
BEHS 453 Discussion 1 Emotional Abuse UMGC
Interview #1 49-year-old Female
- How do you define domestic violence? Is hurting someone to the extent that harm and abuse to control that individual was intended.
- How do you define emotional abuse? This is abuse that is not seen externally, it is abuse that effects the individual and is controlling and be littering. It controls the persons life in a greater way than physical abuse. It changes how someone lives and thinks.
- Please give some examples of emotional abuse. It can be from a boss that is controlling or a spouse or partner. The abuser makes the victim feel weak and unable to live freely. Makes them feel that they can’t do anything right. Consistently making that person feel bad about themselves. Constantly telling someone they are no good or can’t wear the correct cloths, Cant cook food correctly and cant clean the house correctly.
- Do you think emotional abuse is as damaging as physical abuse? Emotional abuse is worse than physical abuse. This is because it is abuse that can not be seen on the outside. The victim most of the time k
BEHS 453 Discussion 1 Emotional Abuse UMGC nows their abuser and is close to them. The victim doesn’t want to be alone or feels that they can’t be normal without that person. They would rather live in fear then live alone. A lot of times the issue goes on for years until the victim has had enough of it. Physical abuse is seen from the outside and is harder to cover up. Usually this is helped by a friend or coworker convincing the victim to seek help and get out of the abusive situation.
Interview #2 53-Year-old Female
- Ask the following questions:
How do you define domestic violence? Physical assault on someone to whom you are legally and/or emotionally connected
How do you define emotional abuse? A type of control of someone to whom you are emotionally connected.
Please give some examples of emotional abuse. Telling someone if you can’t have them, then no one can. Being overly critical of the other person’s performance, such as, “You could have done better”, and not giving any praise or encouragement. Monitoring who your partner sees, for how long, and insisting on them being home by a particular time. If your partner tries to insist on the same behavior towards you, you become angry and say you don’t deserve that kind of treatment and you will do what you want.
Do you think emotional abuse is as damaging as physical abuse?- Why or why not? Just like physical abuse, damage
from emotional abuse can certainly depend on the person on the receiving end. Both hurt and are remembered. But it does depend on the resilience of the person being hurt. If they can take what has happened to them and use it in a positive way, they can grow from it, then there is healing to be done. But there are people, many people, that cannot take what has happened to them and grow. Both need to be prosecuted equally.
Interview #3 31 Year-old male
1. Domestic violence happens at home, it involves physical violence, and verbal violence. Besides, stopping offering food or less food family members need. Domestic violence causes people different harm physically and psychologically.
2. Emotional abuse is about abusing people mentally to devalue people. It includes emotional control, emotional neglect, and verbal abuse.
3. Emotional abuse example
Parents always told their kids they are stupid, and they can’t do things right.
4. I agree, it is not easy to see Emotional abuse happening. There might be deny and self-doubt. But people experiencing emotional abuse had trauma all life long, suffer from mental health issues, and had a hard time to make a living.
Interview# 4 23-Year-old Male
1. Domestic violence is when members of the same household cause physical harm to one another.
2. Emotional abuse is when one’s behavior causes emotional and/or psychological harm to another, usually with intent to harm or manipulate, and often as part of a larger pattern in along-term relationship.
3. Examples of emotional abuse include yelling at, insulting, manipulating, controlling, neglecting, and gaslighting someone.
4. Emotional abuse can absolutely be as damaging as physical abuse, in part because it is more easily hidden and denied, making it harder to address and heal from.
Analysis-
Doing this interview, I wanted to make sure that I reached out to more than just female participants. Domestic abuse seemed to have a stigma attached to it that it only happens to females and the aggressor is always males. I wanted to gain a perspective from different age groups as well. The one direction I have noticed that everyone has in common, it’s about having control. Ensuring that the victim cannot leave the abuser. There were some different opinions that varied but over all it was the same outcome. I wanted to make sure that my interviews were from upper class, then middle income, and lower income living. No matter the income level you have the realization is domestic abuse is real and effects everyone the same. Your income level or your status in the community doesn’t protect or make you immune to the effects of abuse.
Greetings, my three interviewee’s are as follows:
Female, age 52 from Washington D.C.
Male, age 30 from College Park Maryland
Female, age 50 from Lanham Maryland
How did they define domestic violence?
The female interviewee [age 52] described domestic violence as physically being hit and being verbally abused
The male interviewee[30] described domestic violence as being verbally abused, fighting off strikes from his live in girlfriend.
The female interviewee [50] described domestic violence as being physically beaten and mentally tortured, a feeling of hopelessness.
How did they define emotional abuse?
Female [52] described emotional violence as being cursed out, berated, stopped from monetary gain and independence, being sweet talked after the occurrences to only be convinced to give the perp another chance.
Male [30] described emotional abuse as always being talked and looked down upon because he didn’t bring home an acceptable amount of income, called lazy and listless, constantly complaining about everything which caused him to fall into deep depression
Female[50] described it as being berated for her weight, always being compared to her companions former girlfriends that were “ideal” weight and stature. Always being threatened to be left if there weren’t a change immediately. The constant stress of trying to appease his demands, which caused depression.
Emotional abuse as a whole can hurt just as much as physical abuse, it can lead you to hopelessness, esteem problems where you may give up hope. It can make you a recluse to your family and friends, contribute to weight gain or loss and total despair.
Give some examples of emotional abuse.
Badgering, beratement of any sort, holding back opportunities of independence to keep the victim dependent upon the perp.
Do I think emotional abuse is as damaging as physical abuse?
Yes I believe it’s as damaging as physical abuse, it can cause someone to go mentally insane where as physical abuse can heal up in a couple of days. Both abuse methods are bad for the person being victimized, I have sympathy and empathy for anyone that is a victim.
Results of my interview:
Overall all three of my interviewee’s had the basic same views on abuse, the male interviewee seemed to be the one that were “beaten” down by the mental abuse. he seem to have lost his manhood per say from being berated and talked down upon. The 50 year old female was also berated for her weight which made her lose any and all confidence that she had in herself. She did everything to appease her companion to no avail, dieting, trying to exercise produced no results. i believe that the constant stress and pressure led to the hopelessness. My 52 year old interviewee experienced physical abuse in her lifetime, she described getting punched in the face, being kicked in the ribs and slammed to the floor. The emotional and mental abuse occurred when her companion wanted to have sex to try and mend the damage that he put on to her, only to convince her to give him another chance; the one chance turned into several chances. All three of them focused on intimate partners, I felt that they were very transparent and forthright with their answers and opinions. I never once asked about their personal experiences, all of their answers were voluntary.