Domestic violence is a type of abuse that involves injuring someone, usually a spouse or partner, but it can also be a parent, child or other family member. Domestic violence is a very serious problem in the United States and is the most common cause of injury to women ages 15 to 44. Victims of domestic violence may suffer physical injuries such as broken bones, cuts, bruises, and burns. They may also suffer from depression, anxiety or social isolation. The many forms of domestic violence include physical violence, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, intimidation, economic deprivation and threats.

Unfortunately, many instances of domestic violence are not reported because family members and spouses do not want to get their loved one in trouble. Many incidents of domestic violence go unreported simply out of fear of more violence.

Domestic violence occurs in all cultures. People of all races, religions, ethnicities and classes can be perpetrators and victims of domestic abuse. Domestic violence is perpetrated by, and on, both men and women, and it occurs both in same-sex and opposite-sex relationships.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, domestic violence affects more than 32 million Americans (more than 10% of the U.S. population). Also, in the United Stated, 20% of all crime experienced by women are cases of intimate partner violence, compared to 3% of violent crime experienced by men.

Domestic violence during pregnancy is relatively common, also, and is often missed by medical professionals because it presents in non-specific ways. Domestic violence can affect the fetus and baby in the following ways:

· Premature birth

· Problems in childhood such as eating and sleeping disorders, emotional neediness, withdrawn behavior, clingy behavior, aggressive behavior, problems at school and suicidal tendencies

Men Can Be Victims, Too

Very little is known about the actual number of men who are in a domestic relationship in which they are abused or treated violently by their male or female partners. Few of these incidents are ever reported to the police, so data is limited. However, approximately 23% of men who had lived with a man as a couple reported being raped, physically assaulted and/or stalked by another man, while 7.4% of men reported violence by a female spouse or cohabitant.

While data regarding abuse on males is limited, the following is available:

· 3.2 million men experience minor abuse each year (pushing, slapping, hitting)
· 800,000 men per year are raped or physically assaulted by their partner
· 370,000 men are stalked each year
· In 2002, men comprised 24% of domestic violence homicide victims

The causes of domestic violence are just as varied as the types. In some relationships, violence arises out of a need for power and control. Some domestic violence is learned behavior from previous generations. Abusers' efforts to dominate their partners have been attributed to low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy, unresolved childhood conflicts, poverty, hostility, misogyny (hatred of women), personality disorders, substance abuse, etc. Some experts claim that all domestic abuse relates to men's need to devalue women and view them in negative ways.

Regardless of the causes, domestic violence remains a very serious problem in the United States today, and domestic violence can be very difficult to spot. Some of the worst abusers may appear perfectly calm and normal at work or in social situations. A common pattern of domestic abuse is that the perpetrator alternates between violent, abusive behavior and apologetic behavior with sincere promises to never do it again. The abuser may even be very pleasant most of the time. This is why so many people do not leave abusive relationships. They fall for the abusers lies about never doing it again and being able to change.