Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is forceful behavior that can result in injury to
another person. An abuser uses beatings to control the victim. The abuse rarely
occurs just one time. Physical abuse may be accompanied by emotional abuse. A recent study of
girls in 9th through 12th grade found that one out of five girls were
physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner.
A victim of physical abuse might be:
assaulted with a weapon
bitten
burned, often with a cigarette
choked
kicked
pushed or thrown
slapped, hit, or punched
tied down
A victim may also suffer from being shaken. When a person is severely shaken,
the injury can cause clots and swelling in the brain. This is much like
shaken baby syndrome.
Men, women, and children can all be victims of physical abuse. Victims can be
any age and from any ethnic, religious, or economic group.
What are the causes and risks of the injury?
While there is no specific type of person who is at risk for abuse, certain
factors do put some people at greater risk. These risk factors include:
being a drug or
alcohol abuser or having
a partner who is one
being a female, especially between the ages of 17 and 34
being in the first 5 years of a new marriage or a live-in relationship
being in a marriage or relationship in which one person is more dominant
than the other
being pregnant
being socially and emotionally isolated
being unemployed
living in poverty, living in poor housing conditions, moving often
Experts know that adolescents who have been abused are
at higher risk for other health problems. However, we do not yet know whether
the health problems came before the abuse, or if the abuse increased the risk
for the health problem. These problems include the following:
adolescent pregnancy
alcohol use,
including binge drinking
cocaine abuse
risky sexual behaviors, including intercourse before age 15 and multiple
partners
smoking
suicidal attempts or
thoughts
unhealthy weight
management, including
eating disorders
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