Not all abusive relationships involve physical violence. Women in Pakistan suffer from emotional abuse, which is no less destructive. Emotional abuse is often overlooked, even by the person who is being abused. It has consequences and impact on the lives of women as it causes many psychological problems.
Emotional abuse includes verbal abuse (yelling, name-calling, blaming, and shaming), behavioral abuse (throwing and breaking things, threats of physical violence or other consequences), Isolation, intimidation, and controlling behavior. Economic or financial abuse also a subtle form of emotional abuse.
The scars of emotional abuse are invisible, but they are more damaging than physical violence. The following behaviors exist in our society, which resulted into psychological traumas and other problems in women.
- Imposing Restrictions on freedom of movement.
- Controlling activities: discourages you from seeing friends or family.
- Name-calling, insulting, shaming, taunting, humiliating even in front of others.
- Blaming for everything.
- Constantly accusing of cheating or else
- Intimidation/terrorizing: Gets angry in a way that is frightening to you.
- Damaging personal property.
- Causing Isolation.
- Stalking, wants to know what you’re doing all the time be in constant contact.
- Harassment online and offline
- Demands passwords to things like your phone, email, and social media.
- Threatens to hurt you, people you care about, or pets.
- Threatens to call the authorities to report you for wrongdoing.
- Threatens to harm himself when upset with you.
- Says things like, “If I can’t have you, then no one can”
- Decides things for you (like what to wear or eat)
Violence against women has become one of the acceptable means whereby men exercise their culturally constructed right to control women. Such practices in Pakistan have an adverse psychological impact on women.
In Pakistan, societal attitudes, norms, and cultural practices play a vital role in women’s mental health. Women face the worst kind of exploitation in terms psychological abuse. Psychological issues like depression and anxiety occur more frequently among female because of gender inequality, discrimination and violence. The ethnic conflicts, attitudes towards women, the extended family system and role of in-laws in daily lives of women causes issues and stress for her.
For a married woman performing household duties and satisfying her husband’s needs and expectations of in-laws is most important in our society. Compromising and adjusting with the in-laws become a compulsion for her. She cannot do anything which please her, even she cannot meet her parents, family and friends if she has no permission.
It requires fundamental changes to improve the quality of life of women. Constructive steps should be taken to implement women friendly laws. Strategies should be devised to enhance the status of women and empower them as useful members of the society. This should go a long way to improving the lives and mental health of women.
- Emotional abuse is often overlooked, it is no less destructive.
- Emotional abuse has consequences and impact on the lives of women.
- Emotional abuse causes many psychological problems in women.
- The scars of emotional abuse are invisible, but they are more damaging than physical violence.
- Women face the worst kind of exploitation in terms psychological abuse.
- Psychological issues like depression and anxiety occur more frequently among female because of gender inequality, discrimination and violence
- The ethnic conflicts, attitudes towards women, the extended family system and role of in-laws in daily lives of women causes issues and stress for her.
- For a married woman performing household duties and satisfying her husband’s needs and expectations of in-laws is most important in our society.
- Is adjusting and compromising with in-laws a compulsion for her?
Does a girl need permission of her husband She cannot do anything which please her, even she cannot meet her parents, family and friends if she has no permission.
It requires fundamental changes to improve the quality of life of women. Constructive steps should be taken to implement women friendly laws. Strategies should be devised to enhance the status of women and empower them as useful members of the society. This should go a long way to improving the lives and mental health of women.
verbal abuse includes
- Name-calling
- Insulting
- Shaming
- Humiliating even in front of others.
behavioral emotional abuse includes
- controlling behavior
- throwing and breaking things
- threats of physical violence or other consequences
- Threatens to hurt you, people you care about, or pets.
- Threatens to harm himself when upset with you.
- Intimidation/terrorizing: Gets angry in a way that is frightening to you.
- Damaging personal property.
- Says things like, “If I can’t have you, then no one can”
- Decides things for you (like what to wear or eat)
The following behaviors exist in our society, which resulted into psychological traumas and other problems in women.
- Imposing Restrictions on freedom of movement.
- Controlling activities: discourages you from seeing friends or family.
- Blaming for everything or Constantly accusing of cheating or else.
- Causing Isolation.
- Stalking, wants to know what you’re doing all the time be in constant contact.
- Threatens to call the authorities to report you for wrongdoing.
- Harassment online and offline
- Demands passwords to things like your phone, email, and social media.