American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [69]
• If caught in a rip current, swim parallel to shore until you are out of the current. Don’t try to swim against the current.
• Be alert for dangerous aquatic life such as jellyfish.
• Stay close to the shore so you have enough energy to swim back.
6
Preventing Violence
Violence is a major public health problem in the United States. The homicide rate is at least two to three times higher in the United States than in any other industrialized nation, and the homicide rate among Americans under age 24 is nearly eight times higher.
This chapter focuses on violence in the home. Family violence includes spouse abuse, child abuse, and elder abuse, but it also extends to violence in the media, which has been shown to increase aggressive behavior in children. You will learn how to prevent violence within your family, what to do if someone you know becomes a victim of violence, and how to protect yourself from sexual assault. You also will find tips on teaching your children to solve problems without resorting to violence.
Family Violence
In the United States, most violence is committed in the home by family members—men against their partners, parents against their children, or adult children against their elderly parents. Spouse abuse, also called domestic violence or battering, is the most common form of family violence and the most common cause of injuries to women. Each year, millions of children and as many as half a million elderly Americans become victims of abuse.
Spouse Abuse
Spouse abuse is recurring coercive behavior intended to intimidate a partner through physical battering (including slapping, punching, kicking, or choking), emotional abuse, sexual assault, or enforced social isolation. Restricted access to or deprivation of food, money, transportation, or employment also is considered spouse abuse. The abuse usually escalates in frequency and severity.
In most cases of spouse abuse, women are abused by their male partner. Women who are at the highest risk of being battered are those who are single, separated, or divorced; who are between ages 17 and 28; who abuse alcohol or other drugs; who are pregnant; or who have excessively jealous or possessive partners.
Spouse abuse occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. One out of four American women is abused by a partner at some time in her life. Spouses are not the only victims of domestic violence. Child abuse (see next page) also occurs in up to half of all homes in which a spouse is abused.
Many people who are victims of battering hesitate to seek help or leave their situation. They feel ashamed and humiliated and fear that seeking help will jeopardize their safety or their children’s safety by making their partner angry and triggering more violence. Others are prevented from getting help because they are not allowed out of the house or because they lack the money or transportation to leave. Some battered spouses, because they witnessed spouse abuse in their homes during childhood, fail to recognize that their own relationship is abusive. Cultural, ethnic, and religious factors may make it difficult for a spouse to leave an abusive relationship.
Many abusers grew up in families in which they witnessed spouse abuse or experienced child abuse. Use of alcohol and illegal drugs also contribute to violence because mind-altering substances can severely impair judgment and lower inhibitions.
If your partner ever uses violence against you—even once—take it seriously. You are not to blame for being abused. If you are a victim of domestic violence, talk to your doctor. He or she can treat any injuries and can give you the phone numbers of local organizations that can provide help. Don’t allow shame or embarrassment to keep you from getting the help you need. Call your local spouse abuse center or battered women’s shelter and ask what you should do. If you feel that your life