Violence & Abuse 

Violence Against Women is a Health Issue

• In 2001, one quarter of violent crimes reported to police services involved family violence cases. Of these, two thirds were violence by a spouse or ex-spouse. Eighty-five per cent of these victims were women. (Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, Statistics Canada, 2001).
• Eight out of 10 victims of criminal harassment had some form of relationship with the stalker, either as partners, friend/acquaintance or other family member. (Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, Statistics Canada, 2001).
• Women are more likely to be criminally harassed by an ex-partner. (Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, Statistics Canada, 2001).
• Children who witness violence in their home have been found to have short and long term behaviour problems such as aggression and emotional problems such as anxiety. (Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, Statistics Canada, 2001).
• In recent Canadian and American surveys, lifetime rates of physical assault by a husband, partner, or boyfriend were reported at thirty per cent. (Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, Statistics Canada, 1999.)
• The costs to Canadian society of violence against women to is estimated to be $4.2 billion per year in social services, education, criminal justice, labour, employment, health and medical costs. (Greaves, L & Hankivsky, O. Selected Estimates of the Costs of Violence Against Women. (1995) London, Ontario: Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children.
• Criminal justice costs of violence against women total an estimated $871,908,583.00 per year. (Greaves, L & Hankivsky, O. Selected Estimates of the Costs of Violence Against Women. (1995) London, Ontario: Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children).
• Thirty-eight percent of nurses at BC Women’s report currently or previously being in an abusive relationship. ( BC Women’s Hospital: Staff Survey. 1997).
• Forty-five percent of women who have experienced abuse in their relationship reported that they had been injured and forty-three percent of these women needed to go for medical care. (Wife Assault: The findings of a national survey, Juristat 14, 9, Statistics Canada, 1994)
• In recent years, it has been recognized that all types of abuse experienced by women seriously affect their physical, mental, and emotional health. Even after the abuse has stopped or women have left the relationship, the impact on their health continues.

• Violence in all forms is a barrier to women's health.

• Violence against women and its health implications is identified as one of four key issues of concern for women in B.C.

• All forms of violence have significant impact, sometimes acute and sometimes long term, on a woman's health. Because violence is so prevalent in our society, the health consequences of violence against women result in an enormous societal health burden.

• It is estimated that sexual assault and violence against women in relationship accounted for nearly 20 per cent of the health burden for women ages 15 to 44 in developed countries.

• The reduction (and presumably the elimination) of 'family' or 'interpersonal' violence is necessary to meet three of its six broad health goals.

• The Canadian Public Health Association approved a resolution that recognized violence against women as a pervasive and destructive force in society (1990).
• The Dental Community developed a Family Violence Handbook, identifying this community as part of a broad health response.
• Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists adopted a Policy Statement regarding Violence Against Women (1995).

• "Violence Against Women is the number one concern of women in B.C.”.
• Ninety per cent of women surveyed ranked it as a very important health issue.

Abuse is Complex

• Emotional Abuse: anything that is meant to make me feel bad about myself (e.g., teasing, telling me how to feel, acting jealous, making me feel guilty, blaming me for things, not showing any care or affection).
• Mental Abuse: anything that is meant to make me wonder if I am “crazy” (e.g., watching me, stalking me, or threatening me and then saying he or she was “just joking”).
  o Verbal Abuse: using words or a loud voice to make me feel afraid, put me down, or hurt me (e.g., Calling me names, yelling or screaming at me, swearing at me, using sarcasm and hurtful “jokes”).
• Financial Abuse: anything that makes it hard for me to provide for myself or my children or takes away my ability to make choices about money (e.g., making me account for every penny, hiding money, spending money on him or herself when I need it, making me beg for money, leaving me with bills to pay, not paying child support).
• Physical Abuse or threats: any unwanted physical contact or threat of physical contact (e.g., throwing things, pushing, shaking, hitting, slapping, punching, choking, or kicking me; using weapons to threaten me or my children; locking me out of the house).
• Sexual Abuse: any unwanted sexual contact (e.g., making fun of me for saying no, threatening to have an affair, using my past against me, making me use pornography, forcing sex, criticizing how I look or dress).
• Spiritual Abuse: anything that hurts me spiritually (e.g., making fun of my beliefs, using scripture against me, not letting me go to my religious services).
• Social Abuse: anything that cuts me off from support or care (e.g. keeping me away from friends and family, controlling who I can spend my time with, monitoring car mileage or phone calls, not letting me work).
• Using Children: anything that makes me afraid for my children or brings them into the abuse (e.g., putting me down in front of the children, using the children to make me do things, threatening to take the children away, not paying child support, abusing the children).
• Cultural Abuse: using culture to control me (e.g., putting my culture down, forcing me to use his or her cultural practices, speaking his or her language to leave me out of conversations, not letting me learn English).

Abuse and Your Health

General Impact on Health

• Eating disorders, stomach problems, sleeping problems, always feeling tired
• Chronic pain (headaches, back pain, joint pain, arthritis)
• Neurological symptoms (numbness, tingling, fainting, seizures)
• Heart symptoms (chest pain, palpitations, high blood pressure)
• Shortness of breath, feeling like choking, or choked to unconsciousness by partner
• Alcoholism or drug use
• “Shaken Woman Syndrome” (blurred vision, vomiting, confusion, headaches)
• Chronic health problems made worse or partner interferes with woman’s ability to care for chronic health condition; asthma, diabetes, angina, and pain
• Depression, anxiety, suicide, or thoughts of suicide
• Lack of control over reproductive health or decisions (unwanted pregnancies or abortions)
• Sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS infections
• Painful intercourse, decreased sexual desire, rape, vaginal bleeding, infections, genital irritation
• Complications of pregnancy or childbirth (bleeding, preterm labour)
• Delayed or slow healing from childbirth or surgery

The Cycle of Abuse

• Honeymoon phase. In the beginning of the relationship, your partner is attentive, flattering, and romantic. This is a time of courtship. As the relationship progresses and abuse escalates, this may be a time of relief or he or she may make promises, apologize, or return to the romantic person you met when the relationship began.
• Tension phase. Your partner may behave in different ways. He or she may be critical of you, of how you look or act, of your family or friends. You may get the “silent treatment” or he or she may yell, slam doors, or threaten you by words or body language. The abuser usually blames you for their behaviour. Or they may blame pressures of work or finances for the behaviour. Women find this phase intense and frightening because they do not know how to prevent or to “fix” it. Many women feel they are “walking on eggshells”, trying to make the relationship work and reduce the tension or prevent the explosion that is coming.
• Explosion phase. In the beginning of a relationship, your partner may slam a door, not call you, raise their voice, or ignore you. If you have been in the relationship for a while, it might include yelling, destroying things that are important to you, forced sex, physical attacks, and/or verbal and emotional attacks that leave you feeling emotionally devastated and exhausted.