Gender-based violence

Gender-based violence or violence against women is a pathological phenomenon which most often occurs in a household and private environment of people, far from the sight of others.

A conflict between two people means that both people are approximately equally strong. In an argument, each party usually tries to assert its claims or interests.
In case of violence, one can observe the superiority of one side in the form of strength or power. In general, we can talk about the inequality of power and the dominance of one party’s control over the other.

The home or a family often becomes a place of fear from the increasing attack of an abuser. A relative living in the same household – a person whose help, support, or affinity is expected – can become a violent person.

Violence does not have to take the form of physical attacks only. It can consist of several forms of violence.
At the same time, it may mistakenly seem that violence concerns only lower social groups of the population.
On the contrary, violence can appear in any social group of people, while with the increasing intelligence of the perpetrator, the method and a kind of sophistication in his/her perpetration also increases, which leads to a more difficult identification of violence as such.
It is not related to the material level of a person and it is not related to education either.
The variety of male and female perpetrators of violence is very diverse.

Gender-based violence can be influenced by or resulting from the consumption of addictive substances, most often alcohol.
A person addicted to alcohol loses control over himself/herself and his/her aggression escalates.
Alcohol or alcohol dependence can occur both in perpetrators and in victims of violence.

Women, men, children, and seniors can become victims of domestic violence in family environment.
Violence can emerge in a couple or an intergenerational relationship.
It applies that alcohol or alcohol addiction does not justify violence, and there is also the principle that violence is not a private matter.
Every person has the right to protect his/her health, life and dignity.

Ševčík and Špaténková (2011) identified the following features of domestic violence:

• Repetition and long-term character, so it is not just one (random) incident, for example a physical incident (slap or kick), even if it itself can represent the beginning of the problem.
• Escalation or increase and escalation of violent manifestations – from insults and humiliation to physical manifestations of violence of varying intensity.
• Clearly defined roles in the relationship – who sets the rules in it, and who decides about things and who submits.
• Non-publicity or violence taking place behind the door of an apartment, hidden, without the presence of other witnesses.

An abusive person consciously uses certain behaviours and strategies to maintain and consolidate power and control over his/her victim.
The most common methods include: intimidation, humiliation, isolation, denial or downplaying of violence, use of, for example, so-called male advantages, when a man makes important family decisions and determines male and female responsibilities.
Threats and coercion, intimidation of a victim, coercion into illegal activity, threats of bodily harm, etc. are also common.
Violence is characterized by attacks against human dignity, health and life.