Woman Abuse

Many women try to stop the abuse and protect their children, but once the pattern of abuse or violence has been set, it is very difficult to stop it without outside help.

Woman abuse is a major health issue:

• 27% of women have experienced a physical assault in an intimate relationship.
• 25% of physically assaulted women were explicitly threatened with death.
• 50% of women reporting physical assault have also experienced sexual assault in the same relationship.
• 2 out of every 3 women have experienced sexual assault as children or adults or both (under the Canadian Criminal Code definition, sexual assault includes unwanted sexual touching); and
• 42% to 80% of women have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, Canadian Panel on Violence Against Women (1993); Statistics Canada (1993).

• 21% of women abused by their partner were assaulted during pregnancy;
• 40% said the abuse began during their pregnancy, New England Journal of Medicine (1999); Statistics Canada (1993).

Children are often exposed to woman abuse. 60-80% of children in families where woman abuse occurs witness the abuse, either by seeing or overhearing it. Please check our Children Exposed to Domestic Violence page.

Health Effects of Woman Abuse

The Health Effects of Woman Abuse are extensive and when undiagnosed may result in death.

On average, 40 women are killed in Ontario each year by current or former intimate partners, accounting for 75% of all female homicides.

One in four suicides by women can be traced directly to the effects of current or past abuse.

In these extreme situations, children frequently witness the murder of their mother and may, themselves, be threatened or murdered in the same incident.

Physical Health Effects Include

• Broken bones, bruises, burns, cuts, stab wounds, firearm wounds, bites, sprains, concussions, skull fractures, scarring.
• Perforated ear-drums, detached retina, injuries to the voice box, chipped or lost teeth, hair loss.
• Ongoing stomach pain, irritable bowel syndrome.
• Ongoing neck or back pain.
• Frequent headaches.
• Hyperventilation.

Sexual Health Effects Include

• Sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.
• Ongoing pelvic, genital or uterine pain.
• Frequent vaginal or urinary infection.
• Bruising or tearing of vagina or anus.
• Frequent pregnancy (when unwanted or not recommended for health or other reasons).
• Infertility or early hysterectomy.
• Sexually addictive behaviours.

Psychological Effects Include

• Low self-esteem, self-degradation, self-abuse, difficulty with relationships.
• Acute anxiety, frequent crying, unusual or pronounced fear responses, uncontrolled or rapid anger responses, ongoing stress, phobias.
• Flashbacks, insomnia, sleep disturbances, nightmares.
• Lack of appropriate boundaries, arrested development, passivity.
• Memory loss, loss of concentration and productivity.

Psychiatric Effects Include

• Depression.
• Suicidal ideation.
• Dissociation.
• Post traumatic stress syndrome.
• Easting disorders.
• Adjustment disorders with despressed mood.
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

^{Grey Bruce Health Unit - 1}

For more information, please check the Family Violence Affects Everyone brochure.

What Does Violence Look Like

Violence takes many forms and it can happen to anyone, but statistically women and children are more at risk.

Violence is the use of power to control and dominate others.

The equality wheel shows what a healthy relationship looks like. See the healthy relationships page for more information.

Does Your Partner…

Make or carry out threats to hurt you. Threaten to take your children away. Intimidate you by destroying your property. Physically hurt you or the children. Hurt your pets. Make you afraid. Put you down, call you names, play mind games. Humiliate or make you feel guilty. Control who you see, what you do and where you go. Say it's your fault the abuse happened. Stop you from getting or keeping a job. Control all the money.

^{Domestic Abuse Intervention Project, Duluth, Minnesota - 2}

Help Is Available

Many women try to stop the abuse and protect their children, but once the pattern of abuse or violence has been set, it is very difficult to stop it without outside help.

There are free services in Waterloo Region - like emergency shelters and counselling and support programs for women, children and men.

There are also services that can help you get housing, financial assistance and legal aid. If you are experiencing violence, you are not alone.

There are people and services available to help you.

Remember

If you need a safe place, the Emergency Departments at St. Mary's Hospital and Cambridge Memorial Hospital are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week where a nurse and social worker from the Waterloo Region Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Treatment Centre are available to help.

1 - Adapted with the permission of Grey Bruce Health Unit

2 - Adapted with permission: Domestic Abuse Intervention Project, Duluth, Minnesota