When the public thinks about domestic violence, usually it thinks about the physical attack, which causes obvious physical damage. However, it is just one type of violence. Domestic violence might occur in one or several forms, each of them has damaging consequences respectively. The victim of domestic violence is at the larger risk due to the death-rate related to the physical violence, however the long-term destruction of the personality related to other forms of violence is significant and cannot be in any way devaluated.
The main types of domestic violence are defined in the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence. Violence, as defined in this Law, shall mean an intentional physical, mental, sexual, economic influence exerted on a person by an act or omission. However, the definition also mentions “another influence”, and all those forms of violence are united by the fact that as a result whereof the person suffers physical, property or non-pecuniary damage. So let us analyse, how the domestic violence can occur.
| Physical violence means person‘s direct or indirect intentional physical acts that cause pain and / or are likely to cause or threaten another person’s life, health, development and (or) dignity. This may include (but is not limited to): |
| - Hitting, kicking, slapping, shaking, pushing, pulling, punching, choking, beating, scratching, pinching, pulling hair, stabbing, shooting, drowning, burning, hitting with an object, threatening with a weapon, or threatening to physically assault. - Withholding of physical needs including interruption of sleep or meals, denying money, food, transportation, or help if sick or injured, locking victim into or out of the house, refusing to give or rationing necessities. - Abusing, injuring, or threatening to injure others like children, pets, or special property. - Forcible physical restraint against their will, being trapped in a room or having the exit blocked, being held down. - The abuser hitting or kicking walls, doors, or other inanimate objects during an argument, throwing things in anger, destruction of property. - Holding the victim hostage. |
