Spousal Abuse

Spousal abuse is the violence or mistreatment that a man or a woman may experience at the hands of a spouse or common-law partner. [3] As with child abuse, spousal abuse can take many forms. Statistics Canada defines spousal violence as “experiences of physical or sexual assault that are consistent with legal definitions of the offences and that could, if reported, be acted upon by the police. [4]. It is sexual abuse to force someone – even a spouse or common-law partner – to participate in unwanted, unsafe or degrading sexual activity. [5]

But the abuse can also be emotional, verbal or even financial in nature. Emotional abuse includes verbal attacks, criticism, verbal threats, intimidation and social isolation. An emotional abuser may use a range of aggressive or passive-aggressive means to dominate, degrade or intimidate another person.

Financial or economic abuse occurs when an individual steals from, defrauds or exploits their spouse or common-law partner for financial gain. It also occurs when money needed to buy food or medical treatment is withheld, access to financial resources is denied or a spouse or partner is prevented from working.

Experiencing abuse can have an effect on a person’s physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being. It can affect a person’s ability to work and have meaningful relationships. A victim of abuse may turn to drug or alcohol use or other harmful behaviours as a means of coping. Sometimes, the results are fatal: in 1999, more than 500 women and 100 men were either seriously injured or killed by their abusive partners. [6]

Both male and female victims of spousal violence commonly report feeling upset, confused and frustrated. Women show more fear than men when they have experienced violence, are four times more likely to indicate a decrease in their sense of self-worth. They may also experience difficulty sleeping, depression and anxiety. [7]

Violence in the home can also have lasting and significant effects on the children – even when they themselves are not the victims of the abuse. Children who grow up in an abusive environment can suffer serious emotional, developmental, behavioural and academic difficulties. [8]

Footnotes

[3] Spousal Abuse: A Fact Sheet from the Department of Justice Canada; http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/fm/spouseafs.html
[4] Statistics Canada: The Daily, Family Violence (2000) http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/000725/d000725b.htm
[2005-05-26].
[5] Spousal Abuse, Note 3.
[6] Family Violence in Canada: a Statistical Profile, Statistics Canada, Cat. No. 85-002-XPE, 2001:1.
[7] Statistics Canada: The Daily, Family Violence: Impacts and Consequences of Spousal Violence.>
[8] Spousal Abuse, Note 3.