Perception of Domestic Violence and Measures of Self-Esteem

Domestic abuse, also known as intimate partner abuse, affects over 12 million people per year (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). It is a form of abuse that is implemented by the victim’s previous or current intimate partner as a means of control and intimidation. Examples of abuse perpetrators of domestic abuse commit, attempt, or threaten their victims with are physical, verbal and psychological. These forms of abuse can contribute to low self-esteem of the victim and may reinforce victims’ sense of helplessness by stripping way their real social roles (Stenberg, Pineles, Gardner, & Mineka, 2003)