Where Does Abuse Happen the Most?

Content/Trigger Warning: Please be advised that the article below might mention trauma-related topics that include types of abuse & violence that could be triggering.

What Abuse is and When it Occurs

The Merriam-Webster dictionary demonstrates that the word “abuse” has different meanings. When people think of abuse, they may think of physical and sexual abuse, but a person can also abuse a person verbally (revile someone). Additionally, a person may abuse their power and privilege.

Abuse is often a pattern of behavior, and it usually involves a person who is in control taking advantage of another person or an animal who lacks control and power. For example, just as a parent or guardian can abuse a child, so can a person in law enforcement abuse a civilian or a manager who abuses an employee, or a human can abuse a pet. Again, the abuse does not have to be violent in nature, and in some cases, the person abused does not even recognize it. Even more significant is that, after a person experiences abuse, especially when it is prolonged, they may actually make excuses for the abuser, feeling that the abuse is justified. This can be especially dangerous and lead to inaction to escape the abuse or to put themselves in further situations with others where abuse is likely to occur.

If you have been experiencing domestic violence, reach out for help immediately. You can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What Makes Abuse More Likely to Occur

We know that some cultures (and this word is used here in a broad sense and include work cultures, school cultures, home cultures, community cultures, etc.) can make it more likely for abuse to occur or abuse is not recognized as abuse due to power dynamics. Abuse is more likely to occur when the person who is being abused has little outside support to stop the abuse and does not feel that they have a voice. Additionally, when the authorities and resources available do not recognize that what is occurring is abuse or ignore it, the abuse is likely to continue.

Reasons that the abuse may be ignored can include society considering the person who is abused is less than (for example, a criminal, being a minority, a person addicted to drugs or alcohol), or the abuser, due to fame or fortune, is worshipped by society and given a sort of clemency to continue whatever behaviors. We also know that blaming the survivor, which is especially likely to occur when the person seems foreign to us and cannot make sense of the person’s decisions, can perpetuate the abuse. For example, some believe that those who stay in an abusive relationship deserve the abuse because they decide to stay without the outside observer appreciating the challenges, including often fear, associated with leaving the relationship and the impact the abuse has had on the survivor’s self-worth.