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USEFUL
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ABUSE AND NEGLECT CHILD
ABUSE AND VICTIMIZATION GLOBAL LINKS BETWEEN VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND HIV / AIDS The Facts
Reasons Behind the Numbers Men's power over women -- often expressed through violence and coercion over sexual decision-making -- is a critical factor behind these statistics. Furthermore, when women become HIV positive, they are often targets of violence from their families and communities. Many factors contribute to this vulnerability: 1. Cultural Values and Beliefs In many countries, masculinity is associated with having multiple sexual partners, and with controlling the frequency and form of intercourse. Femininity is associated with ignorance about sex and passivity during the sexual act. These cultural values prevent women from learning about and negotiating for safer sexual practices, or leaving high-risk relationships. Cultural practices such as female genital mutilation, early marriage, and polygamy also contribute to the rapid increase of the epidemic. 2. Education Girls and women often lack access to information about how to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, women's lack of education and skills training increase their risk of poverty, and behavior that raises their risks of HIV infection, e.g., sex work and drug abuse. 3. Policy and Legislation In many countries, policy and law enforcement officials ignore violence against women generally and the links between violence against women and HIV/AIDS. Few, if any laws, protect women from domestic violence, including rape within marriage. Unmarried women often have no legal protection from partner abuse. Even where violence against women is outlawed, violence often goes unpunished and women are afraid to press charges. As a result, men often feel free to abuse women, and women find it impossible to negotiate safe sex with husbands or sexual partners. 4. Economics Women are often economically dependent on the men they live with, making it difficult to leave a relationship, even if it is abusive and it exposes them to the HIV/AIDS infection. Women in poverty are at particular risk. They may become victims of trafficking, and trapped in forced prostitution and sexual slavery, and/or turn to drugs, all raising the risk of HIV infection. 5. Healthcare Women often have difficulty obtaining treatment if they are victims of violence, or have contracted HIV/AIDS. HIV/STD prevention services, condoms and treatment centers can be intimidating, unavailable or insensitive. Further, women who are HIV positive are often denied treatment. 6. War and emergency situations During armed conflict, women and girls are threatened by rape, domestic violence, sexual exploitation, trafficking, sexual humiliation and mutilation. Rape by military personnel imposes even greater risk of HIV infection than do other types of unprotected sex. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND WELFARE WORK LINKS BETWEEN ANIMAL ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE “One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to torture an animal and get away with it.” - Margaret Mead The links between animal abuse and family violence are irrefutable. Often, animal abuse may be the only visible sign that a woman or child is being victimized by violence. Abusers use animals to threaten victims and coerce them into doing what they ask. Many women are afraid to leave their abusers because they do not want to leave their pets in a vulnerable situation. Moreover, a child who tortures animals is more likely than his or her peers to commit acts of violence against other human beings. Thanks to the local SPCA in the Florida Keys, DAS clients can leave their pets on a temporary basis with the animal shelter. For more information, call the Domestic Abuse Shelter at (305) 743-4440.
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