The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists domestic violence as a public health problem, and one that is preventable and serious. Also called “intimate partner violence” by the CDC, it is a term used to describe abuse in a psychological, sexual or physical way by a former or current spouse or partner.
There is a new study that was recently released by Sam Houston State University which found that domestic violence can often be a generational problem. This means that children who grow up in a family where domestic violence is present have a very high risk of becoming domestic violence abusers. In fact, the study found that almost four out of five families that dealt with domestic violence issues had children who abused their partners as adults.
One of the study authors said, “These families, unfortunately, were not able to break the cycle of violence.” The study focused on 1600 families. Of those families, 66 percent reported that they had been abused by their partners. However, 78 percent of the families’ adult children and 93 percent of parents reported that they had been victimized by a partner. The violence ranged from threats of harm from a spouse to punching to shoving. When it came to these types of violence, 20 percent said they had committed at least three of these types of abuse against their spouse or partner.
Allegations of domestic violence can result in very serious consequences for the defendant. It can affect child custody and visitation, and a conviction can bar some types of employment or the ability to own or possess a firearm. Restraining orders are almost always handed down in domestic violence cases, and a violation of such an order can result in more charges for the defendant.
It’s important for someone who is charged with domestic violence to avoid pleading guilty without seeking advice from an attorney. The consequences of such actions can be severe, and an attorney can help provide a rigorous defense.
Source: Houston.cbslocal.com, “Study: Domestic Violence Stays In Families Through Generations” No author given, Nov. 03, 2013