Abuse and Cultural Context

Domestic violence may look different to different people.

 

Domestic violence can affect anyone, but the ways in which it appears may manifest itself or be received differently depending on the setting in which it occurs. Cultural context can play a large role in a survivor’s decision to leave an abusive relationship. The specific cultural setting may be determined by your race, gender, sexuality, class, education, or any number of factors.

 

In the United States, a country with various and overlapping forms of social, economic, and political discrimination along precisely these lines, certain communities experience heightened vulnerability to domestic violence.

 

Always consider your individual circumstances when making decisions about your safety and remember that advocates from The Hotline are available 24/7 by phone or chat to discuss your situation and help you consider your options.

 

While the information contained below may not include your specific cultural context (yet), many of the warning signs of abuse and other dynamics may bear similarities to abuse in your community and can be useful to explore.

 

Why People Abuse Abuse is never okay. Learn why people abuse.

two people sitting together on the couchtwo people sitting together on the couch

Domestic violence stems from a desire to gain and maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abusive people believe they have the right to control and restrict their partner’s lives. This is often because they believe their own feelings and needs should be prioritized in the relationship or because they enjoy exerting the power that such abuse gives them.

 

Tactics of abuse (in any form) are aimed at dismantling equality in the relationship in order to make their partners feel less valuable and undeserving of respect.

 

Remember that everyone deserves to have a healthy, loving, and respectful relationship—no matter what.