What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic Violence Definition and Context 

Before we get into the topics, some background information and definitions are necessary. The first thing I want to clarify is the definition of domestic violence. Veronica Ybanez defines domestic violence as "...a pattern of physical and/or sexual violence committed by a current or former intimate partner" (Ybanez 50). Another thing to note is that this type of violence can also happen in "same-sex" relationships as well (Ybanez 50). With this definition, it becomes apparent to notice also the effects of domestic violence. For numerous survivors, domestic violence has caused a sense of "isolation" as some parts of society have painted survivors as the ones to blame for this situation (Ybanez 50). There are a lot of moving parts that come with the idea of trauma and how it can impact the person. From being forced to deal with the "partner" that committed the violence, to feeling a sense of guilt that they could've done something to prevent that situation from happening, this sense of "isolation" continues to morph into the general idea of trauma that is present in a survivors life. 

Effects of Domestic Violence

When it comes to talking about inflicted trauma, there have been many studies that have shown relations to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Duncan 204). While post-traumatic stress disorder is something that was used to commonly diagnose soldiers who fought in World War I and other military actions, there's something to be said about the amount of correlations that it has on survivors of domestic violence. In many cases, the side effects of PTSD include but are not limited to "...depression, irritability, anxiety, and personality changes" (Boehnlein and Devon 156). With this, it becomes evident that domestic violence can create a lot of "changes" within a person because they are being forced to juggle so many other things within their life on top of a traumatic experience. 

This juggling can be seen in parts of Orange's There There, especially with the character Jacquie Red Feather who was raped when she and her family were staying on Alcatraz Island by Harvey. Orange explains this idea of juggling the "anxiety" that came along with Jacquie's experiences of having a "..no" turned "...into a yes" (Orange 110). There's something to be said about the manipulation of the word "no" as this has been a word that has caused lots of contemplation amongst advocates and supporters of justice for survivors of domestic violence. While some believe the word "no" to be plenty to stop something undesired within an "intimate" relationship, there are still some people who continue to invalidate someone's experiences of trauma, especially when they are from a more marginalized demographic.