Why Is Gender Violence A Public Health Issue?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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GBV has significant and long-lasting impacts on physical and mental health including injury, unintended pregnancy and pregnancy complications, sexually transmitted infections , HIV, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even death.

Why is intimate partner violence a public health issue?

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a well-recognized public health problem. IPV

affects women’s physical and mental health through direct pathways, such as injury, and indirect pathways, such as a prolonged stress response that leads to chronic health problems

.

How is gender-based violence a problem in the community?

Gender-based violence

threatens a person’s physical and psychological integrity

. Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure, and where this is not present, people’s ability to function in the family, community and society is likely to be impaired, as self-realisation and development are affected.

Is abuse a public health issue?


Child abuse and neglect must be treated as a public health issue

.

How does domestic violence affect public health?

Abused women are also more likely than non-abused women to engage in high risk behaviors, such as smoking and substance use disorders. Furthermore,

the chronic stress caused by domestic violence is linked to higher rates of chronic diseases (such as heart disease and diabetes) for abused women

.

What are some public health issues?

  • Heart disease.
  • Cancer.
  • Unintentional injuries.
  • Chronic lower respiratory diseases.
  • Stroke.
  • Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Diabetes.
  • Influenza and pneumonia.

Is gender based violence a public health issue?

GBV has significant and long-lasting impacts on physical and mental health including injury, unintended pregnancy and pregnancy complications, sexually transmitted infections , HIV, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even death.

Is domestic abuse a public health issue?


Domestic abuse is a significant public health issue

affecting 1:3 women and 1:6 men, having a major impact on those directly affected and their families and campaigns to tackle it have historically focused on victim support and crime reduction rather than prevention.

Why is it important to focus on domestic violence?


It can lead to negative health outcomes such as chronic pain, increased risk of stroke, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, cancer, or gynecological problems

. There are also behavioral health concerns like depression, alcohol and substance abuse, and high-risk sexual behaviors.

Why is gender-based violence a human rights issue?

Gender-based violence is a human rights concern.

People who experience gender violence may suffer from different human rights violations

– for example the right to life, freedom from torture and degrading treatment, freedom from discrimination and the right to safety and security.

What are the reasons for gender-based violence?

  • Harmful Gender Norms. Gender stereotypes and are often used to justify violence against women. …
  • Hunger. Just as empowering women can help eliminate hunger, food scarcity also leads to increased gender-based violence. …
  • War and conflict.

How can we prevent gender-based violence in our society?

  1. Educate yourself on the root causes of violence. …
  2. Interrupt sexist and discriminatory language. …
  3. Be critical and question. …
  4. Interrupt abuse. …
  5. Stop sexual harassment. …
  6. Develop an action plan. …
  7. Stop victim blaming. …
  8. Stop rape culture.

What are public health approaches?

The public health approach involves defining and measuring the problem, determining the cause or risk factors for the problem, determining how to prevent or ameliorate the problem, and implementing effective strategies on a larger scale and evaluating the impact.

What is the public health model of violence prevention?

Indeed, law enforcement and public health have similar models for addressing needs (Markovic, 2012). The public health model has four steps:

(1) Define the problem; (2) Identify risk and protective factors; (3) Develop and test prevention strategies; and (4) Assure widespread adoption

(CDC, 2020).

What do you know about public health?

Public health is

the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities

. This work is achieved by promoting healthy lifestyles, researching disease and injury prevention, and detecting, preventing and responding to infectious diseases.

Who is disproportionately affected by domestic violence?

Approximately 42.4 million (35.6%) women in the U.S. experience rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime.

Ethnic minority women

are disproportionately affected by IPV.

What are the physical and emotional effects of the abuse on the abuser?


health issues caused by stress, such as high blood pressure and associated cardiac problems

. health issues from the physical abuse, such as damaged joints or arthritis. chronic back pain or headaches. increased risk of developing diabetes, asthma, depression, and immune dysfunction due to long-term stress.

What are the consequences of intimate partner violence?

According to a literature review by Campbell (2002), injurious physical and mental health sequelae of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) include

injury or death, chronic pain, gastrointestinal and gynecological problems, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

.

What causes public health?

It stems from a variety of factors, including

genetics, physical activity, access to proper nutrition and community environment

. The CDC offers educational tools to help promote healthier lifestyles across communities, including local resources that promote nutrition and exercise education.

What is the biggest problem facing public health today?

Both

heart disease

and stroke are leading causes of death in the United States. About 610,000 people die of heart disease each year. Prevention focuses on addressing high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol and smoking. Meanwhile, there are about 130,000 deaths due to stroke annually.

How does public health impact your daily life?

Public health protects and improves communities by preventing epidemics and the spread of disease; promoting healthy lifestyles for children and families; protecting against hazards in homes, work, communities and the environment; ensuring high-quality health-care services; safeguarding and improving the quality of the …

What are the four basic patterns of partner violence?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies four types of intimate partner violence—

physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, and psychological aggression

.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.