Womens Health Class 2012

1. Ashleigh Card
HE-210-OL
Chapter 8
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

2. Statistics
 One in every four women in the United States
has been raped or physically assaulted
 Attacks come from a former spouse, a live-in
partner, boyfriend, or date
 On average more then three women are
murdered by husbands or boyfriends
everyday in the United States

3. Why does this happen?
 “Violence against women is so woven into the
fabric of acceptable behavior that many of us
feel that we are at fault or have no right to
complain about violent treatment…” (pg.
692)
 The media exposure, news, and
advertisement, can become misleading..This
treatment should not be just an “accepted
fact of life”

4. Types of voilence
 “Is any assault on a woman’s body, physical
integrity, or freedom of movement inflicted
by an individual or through societal
oppression (692.) ”
 Physical
 Verbal
 Emotional

5. Broken Down Further
 Abuse
 Rape
 Sexual assault
 Murder
 Forced sterilization
 Female genital cutting
 Stalking
 Sexual coercion in the workplace
 Prostitution through rape and manipulation
 Trafficking of young girls

6. Rape
 One of the most common forms of assault
especially on college campuses today
 35 rapes per 1,000 female college students per year
 Depending on what state your in, rape can be
defined a little differently
 Almost 18% of women said they had been
attacked
 Girls and young women are at a higher risk
 Choosing not to fight back is a survival
strategy…it does not make you weak

7. Medical Considerations
 First instinct is to shower, but it washes evidence
away so go straight to a medical examiner at a
hospital.
 Give a verbal history of the assault
 Latest medical concerns
 Pelvic or rectal exam
 Look for external injuries
 STI and STD protection
 Pregnancy prevention
 Follow-up exam

8. Domestic
Violence
 Intimate partner violence and battering is also
very common and also one of the least reported
 It’s a pattern of behavior that causes fear and
intimidation where only one person is in control
 Consists of physical and psychological abuse
 Threats, weapons, sexual assault, or actual harm
to other loved ones

9. Domestic Violence
 Children, and pets may also be at risk so it is
always smart to make a safety plan
 Stalking is a potential issue
 There are also legal considerations for
intimate partner violence
 You can get an immediate protection order
against the batterer.

10. Understanding the Violence
 Why act out?
 Psychological problems
 Sexual frustration
 Childhood abuse
 Life pressure
 Drug & alcohol abuse
 More than one can contribute to the “dynamic of
violence”
 It is about the power struggle over another individual.

11. Where do These Attacks
Happen?
 Relationships
 Social and institutional places
 Etc..
 For example
 Intimate partner violence
 Parent vs. child
 Employer vs. employee
 Teacher vs. student

12. Marginalized Identity and
Violence Against Women
 Some factors put specific women at risk (race,
nationality, religion)
 Women of color
 Older women
 Young women
 Women without legal immigration ststaus
 Refugees
 Lesbians
 Lower income women
 Transsexuals or transgendered women
 Disabled women

14. Reactions to Violence
 Isolation
 Very common with child abusers and abusive intimate partners
 Shame
 PTSD
 Self blame
 Fear, terror, feeling unsafe
 Anger and rage
 Depression
 Suicidal feelings
 Substance abuse
 Eating disorders
 Physical symptoms
 Self-harm
 Changes in sexuality and intimacy

15. Regaining our lives
 Know it was NOT your fault
 You did not ask to be hurt and violated, it was not
deserved.
 You made the best choices you could
 You deserve support!
 There is no RIGHT WAY to feel or heal
 It takes time and there can be setbacks

17. Food for Thought…
 There are too many women that silently
suffer without receiving the help or support
they need…
 What do you think is the best way to reach
out to someone you know who needs the
help?