Domestic Violence

Keganasan Rumah Tangga

家庭暴力（第一部分，第二部分）

Domestic violence is abuse committed against a person by someone in the family. Domestic violence takes different forms, which includes:

Slapping
Kicking
Choking
Hitting a person’s head against the wall
Forced sex, or sexual acts
Threatening to hurt a person
Making a person feel small, stupid, or worthless and
Damaging property to upset the victim.

People who commit domestic violence are trying to control the person being abused.

With the passing of the Domestic Violence Act in 1994, domestic violence is no longer a private matter but a societal concern. It is a crime under the Penal Code.

Women’s organisations lobbied for nearly ten years before the Domestic Violence Act was passed in 1994.

Today, battered women can seek help from government agencies like the police, welfare department, hospital, and women’s NGOs to take action against their abusers.

Types of Domestic Violence

Violence against women can be classified into several types:

Physical Abuse

Pushing or shoving a woman
Holding or keeping her from leaving
Slapping or biting her
Kicking, choking, hitting or punching her

Sexual Abuse

Forcing a woman to have unwanted sex with others or forcing her to watch others having sex
Forcing sex after a beating
Forcing sex when she is sick or when it endangers her health
Forcing the purpose of hurting her with objects or weapons
Threatening or hurting her with a weapon

Emotional Abuse

Continually criticizing her, calling her names, shouting at her
Humiliating her in public or privately
Refusing to allow her to socialize with anyone
Keeping her from working, controlling her money, making all decisions
Manipulating her with lies and contradictions
Threatening to kidnap the child(ren) if she leaves
Harassing her about extramarital affairs the abuser imagines she is having

Who Does It Affect

The Victim

Low self-esteem and lack of confidence
Mental breakdown
Shame, guilt and fear
Isolation
Depression or suicidal thoughts

The Children

Fear, insecurity, and dependency
Frustration and anxiety
Problems in school (truancy, poor grades, etc.)
Deep anger (that may lead to violent behavior)

The Abuser

Family breakdown
Punishment by law
Separation/divorce

Cycle of Violence

The cycle of violence describes the pattern that often occurs when a woman is abused by her husband or partner. While each woman’s experience may be different, the cycle points out the phases that tend to occur in an abusive relationship.
An abusive relationship often follows a three-phase cycle:

The cycle of violence can happen hundreds of times in an abusive relationship. The total cycle can take anywhere from a few hours to a year or more to complete. It is important to remember that not all domestic violence relationships fit the cycle. Often, as time goes on, the ‘honeymoon’ stage disappears.

In the end there is only the violent phase.

Why Does It Happen

Power and Control

Abusers are usually self-centered. They think only of their own needs and neglect other people’s feelings. They try to use varying tactics to gain power to control their family members through violence. They make all the major decisions and treat their spouse or partner badly.

Family Factors

Some abusers may have been raised in a “violent home” environment. They may have experienced family violence in their childhood and learnt violent behaviour from their family.

Social Factors

Abusers tend to have traditional ideas about the roles of women and men, thinking women should be subordinate to men. They cannot accept that women have the right to make decisions about her own life. e.g. going out to work.

Psychological Factors

Abusers may suffer from psychological problems and have primary personality disorders. Disorder can be associated with severe mood swings, lying, sexual problems, substance abuse, or suicidal behaviour.

Click here for posters & pamphlets, books related to domestic violence.
Click here for WCC’s media related to domestic violence.