Long-Term Physical and Mental Health Effects of Domestic Violence

Abstract

Domestic violence is an issue affecting people of all ages, races, genders, and sexual orientations. Violence against men and same-sex domestic violence are often considered less of a threat to society and to the people involved, but it is important to understand that male-on-female violence, female-on-male violence, and same-sex violence all involve serious consequences to the victim’s and batterer’s short- and long-term health. This paper determines whether men or women suffer from more long-term health problems caused by domestic violence by comparing the currently published statistics on the prevalence of domestic violence in heterosexual and homosexual relationships, and analyzing the results of existing studies on the short- and long-term health effects of domestic violence. The findings indicate that although men and women sustain many of the same injuries, women suffer from more long-term health problems caused by domestic violence.