Whether it is on the several types of abuse, ways to protect yourself and others from encountering abuse or how to recognise a victim or abuser, there is always room to learn more.
Abuse. For such a short, simple word it can cause mounts of damage for an individual. It is essential that everyone is educated on the matter; being informed could save someone’s life. Unfortunately, it is a topic that people unexpectedly severely lack knowledge on. Whether it is on the several types of abuse, ways to protect yourself and others from encountering abuse or how to recognise a victim or abuser, there is always room to learn more.
On average, twenty people per minute are abused by an intimate partner. However, this only includes physical abuse; did you know there are ten distinct types of abuse? Domestic violence, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, material abuse, modern slavery, discriminatory abuse, organisational or institutional abuse, neglect and self-neglect are the other nine variations of abuse. In most cases, people devastatingly experience multiple ways of being abused at the same time. For some types of abuse, it is easy to spot the signs. Injuries such as bruises and cuts can be a clear sign that someone is undergoing physical abuse. Alternatively, it can be difficult to detect when someone is being psychologically abused as there is no physical trace of the abuser’s actions. This is why it is imperative that as a society we educate ourselves to potentially save someone’s life from years of pain. Signs of a victim of abuse could be an individual experiencing anxiety over trying to please their abuser (this could be a partner, friend, relative etc), having less energy than usual and constantly being upset or never seeming to be happy.
If you suspect that someone is undergoing abuse, the best thing to do is listen to them and acknowledge their feelings. It is important that they feel heard and understood. Additionally, you should give them time to talk, but do not push them if they wouldn’t like to. Supporting a friend or family member and helping to guide them through this difficult time is the best you can do in this situation.
Alternatively, if you are being abused and feel as though you need help, there are many ways to access it. For example, you can call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on the number ‘0808 2000 247’. Furthermore, there are many ways to view other people’s experiences and utilise that to help yourself if you are a victim of abuse; websites such as ‘victimsupport.org.uk’ and ‘womensaid.org.uk’ are there to support those who are suffering. It is essential that society is well educated in this area as you never know what you, or your close family and friends could encounter.
Moreover, to help prevent people from being abused for long periods of times, how to recognise traits of an abuser in someone is essential. Common signs of an abuser are an individual being manipulative, showing extreme jealousy, always insisting their victim can never do anything right, preventing their victim from doing things that make them happy and being possessive of someone by trying to control everything they do. However, there are many different ways to abuse someone therefore the list of traits is not restricted. Seeing these characteristics in someone else, or potentially yourself, doesn’t guarantee that the individual is an abuser, but it is crucial to recognise this behaviour is not acceptable.
Of course, abuse is a serious accusation to throw at someone, therefore it is important to be careful what you say and do when you suspect someone is being abused. Ultimately, everyone could become a little more informed on a matter so detrimental to somebody’s life.