General considerations on psychological violence

Psychological violence is a big problem in society and affects millions of people all over the world. It usually happens between four walls, without witnesses, but it can happen affecting several people at the same time. It is an act of arrogance and arrogance that is difficult to fight.

The fact can occur in the most diverse environments and in many different ways, but it is always linked to a position of power of the aggressor in relation to the victim. Thus, the aggressor takes advantage of this position to intimidate, coerce and pressure the victim in order to achieve a goal, often illegal or immoral.

However, despite the seriousness of the problem, the cases are rarely reported. Moreover, it usually involves threats and manipulation, and the act occurs within the family or in the workplace, where the victim has a close relationship with the aggressor. Read on and get more information about psychological violence!

Psychological violence, consequences and impacts

In addition to being a warning for possible physical violence, psychological violence causes problems of a social and health nature. The victim is damaged not only psychologically, but in all aspects of his life. See more in the next blocks!

What is psychological violence

Psychological violence can be defined as any act directed against a person that includes threat, insult and humiliation, public or otherwise. In addition, social isolation, restriction of civil rights and manipulation are also examples of acts of psychological violence.

In this sense, the victim of psychological violence faces enormous difficulties and, in general, does everything to hide or camouflage her situation. Shame and powerlessness dominate her mind, making her incapable of sketching a reaction that could interrupt the process.

The consequences of psychological violence

One characteristic of psychological violence is that it also causes problems that manifest themselves physically, such as discouragement, weight and mood changes, insomnia and headaches. However, the consequences are not limited to the physical aspect alone, since, depending on the severity, they compromise the victim's life in an integral way.

Indeed, a victim of psychological violence may, in more serious cases, become totally dependent on the aggressor, who starts commanding the acts that the victim may or may not commit. The consequences may vary according to the intensity of the act and the personality of the person, as well as the aggressor, but will always be of strong gravity.

Impacts of violence on health

The interaction between the physical and psychological aspects of the human body is well known. Therefore, a psychological action can compromise the physical side, occurring the same in the opposite direction. In this sense, the impacts of psychological violence are present not only emotionally, but also physically.

In addition, the fact can be analyzed as a public health problem, since it generates many expenses for the state. Anyway, it is a problem of a serious nature, which needs to be fought with drastic measures, which would increase much more if all cases were revealed and denounced.

Impacts of violence on the labour market

Although the physical aggression that leaves visible marks or fractures does not happen, psychological violence also causes financial losses of a serious nature, both for the victim and for companies and the State. In fact, it is an event that harms all of society.

The labor market feels the consequences through medical certificates justifying absences, low productivity, emotional crises during working hours, and so on. At the same time, many victims simply quit their jobs, either because they are unable to work or because the aggressor imposes them.

The different types of psychological violence

The forms in which psychological violence manifests itself can vary a lot, but it is possible to identify the most common ones. They are: threats, insults, intimidation, humiliation, private imprisonment, manipulation and restriction of rights, to name a few. Follow the text to see in detail these and other types.

The threats

Even if the threat is a crime provided for in the criminal code, its characterization is very difficult, also making it difficult to open an inquiry and even more so a conviction. The difficulties only increase when they occur in a family or functional environment.

A threat between people is any act, gesture or word that imposes fear in another person, and usually supports an order or a request for something that would not be done naturally. Threats already configure an advanced stage when it comes to psychological violence.

The insults

The act of insulting someone consists of uttering words or gestures of offensive character to their morals and dignity. It is a vile and cowardly act because, in the vast majority of cases, the insulted person does not meet conditions to defend himself. Thus, the act indicates the arrogant and overbearing personality of the aggressor.

The insults serve as a warning of psychological violence that is already in progress, but which will increase in intensity if it is not stopped in time. It is possible to say that the insult is one of the first visible situations in the process of violence. However, it should not go unpunished for that reason.

The humiliations

A humiliation is an attitude of demeaning, as well as of personal devaluation of someone. The act may start in private environments, but in a short time it also happens in public places. Humiliation is often in the form of teasing, but the meaning is always clear.

Psychological violence is characterized when humiliation becomes a routine fact and without apparent reason, becoming a habit on the part of the aggressor. The victim, who is usually defenseless, is submissive to the aggressor under all circumstances and in any situation.

The manipulations

To manipulate someone means to act in a subtle and camouflaged way, in the sense of influencing that person to do something, to obey without objection and even to radically change their behaviour. There are several techniques of manipulation that can be used alone or in combination.

Thus, manipulation is a recognizably dishonest and exploitative method, and is therefore classified as a form of psychological violence. The perpetrator may manipulate the victim through false information, subtle intimidation, and assigning non-existent guilt, among other sordid methods.

Social isolation

Social isolation is a form of serious psychological violence that has an interesting particularity. In fact, isolation occurs because of the need to reduce the risk of escape or denunciation. In other words, social isolation is rarely alone in a typical case of psychological violence.

Therefore, social isolation can also be considered as private imprisonment, depending on the circumstances. The goal is to isolate the victim, who will become increasingly fragile and dependent on the aggressor. With isolation, the aggressor facilitates the work of controlling and dominating the victim.

The limitation of rights

The means of committing and perpetuating psychological violence are many and vary according to the imagination and degree of perversity of the aggressor. Thus, the restriction of rights such as going and coming or the right to freedom is common. In fact, these are also taken away as a way to limit the victim's reaction resources.

When it comes to limitation of rights, the problem is like a snowball in free fall, in which the limitation of the basic right to move where one wishes implies the loss of several others. Thus, the victim may be forbidden to use the telephone and receive some visitors at home, for example.

Distortion of facts and ridicule

The most worrisome facts in cases of psychological violence are those related to the distortion of events, as well as the exposure of the victim to ridicule and grotesqueness. When the victim is already weakened, this can lead to mental insanity in the most complex cases.

Thus, it is a type of attitude that reveals not only a criminal mind, but also a cruel and methodical personality in doing evil. Such an action, when well planned, leads the victim to commit acts of pure desperation.

Legal determination, how to report and how to help victims of psychological violence

Psychological violence is already a crime under the Maria da Penha Law, but the criminal code also provides crimes such as threat, defamation and slander and private imprisonment, all likely to be triggered in cases like this. Understand how to report and collaborate in supporting the victims!

What to do if you are a victim of psychological violence

The crime of psychological violence can be committed in such a subtle and camouflaged way that, many times, the victim takes a long time to realize it. Besides, the aggressor usually watches his victim for a greater control. The ideal is to get away for once and look for a safe place among relatives or friends.

A very common mistake is to rely on promises of change that only happen in the first few days. So, in more serious cases, running away with immediate reporting is the best way forward and, if you can, try to gather some evidence of the crime. There is a specialist support network that should be sought.

What the law says about psychological violence

Psychological violence occurs in any gender, but women are the main victims. The crime is qualified in the criminal code, in the Maria da Penha Law, and provides for imprisonment for up to two years and a fine. However, it is a difficult crime to prove and the Brazilian legislation is very inefficient in this aspect.

In the case of the aggressor being a conjugal partner, it is possible to request protection measures to force the distance between victim and aggressor. The law determines support and shelter for the victims, which must be sought with the authorities, after the complaint is made.

When to report psychological violence

The signs of psychological violence are sometimes noticed by others, even before the victim is aware of it, but even if they can report it, rarely does anyone take this attitude. Thus, in general, the complaint is made by the victim, when she meets the conditions to do so.

The time to report is the sooner the better, as soon as you find yourself being threatened, humiliated or having some of your rights suppressed. Then, don't wait for things to go back to normal, because this won't happen. In fact, it is most likely to get much worse. That is why it is important to act fast.

How to prove psychological violence

Although a popular adage says that there is no perfect crime, cases of psychological violence often go unpunished. This happens both due to lack of reporting and lack of evidence. The psychological marks that the aggressor produces in the victim are difficult to be collected as evidence.

Thus, the ideal is that the victim, when deciding to report the crime, should gather evidence of the crime before filing a complaint. Many pieces of evidence can be used for this purpose, such as: medical certificates, statements of possible witnesses, voice recordings or fingerprinting, and others that may arise according to the situation.

How to report psychological violence

There are several ways to report a crime, including anonymous reporting, since in this case the victim may be unable to react. After the complaint is filed, an investigation begins and, generally, the aggressor is arrested. Although the complaint can be filed with the military police, the ideal is to look for a specialized police station or the public defender's office.

However, reporting will be more efficient in a situation of flagrante delicto or with the presentation of some evidence, so sometimes it can pay to wait to gather this evidence, as long as the victim is not in fatal danger.

How to help those who suffer psychological violence

Helping a person in a situation of psychological violence is a delicate mission, because the victim usually defends the aggressor. The first step is to approach the person, showing support and making her recognize her reality. No judgments, because she needs to understand by herself what is happening.

It is necessary to overcome feelings of shame and embarrassment to access the problem. Show without imposition that the aggressor's attitudes are criminal and, if necessary, tell other people in the family circle about the situation. Even if the victim refuses, try to do something, because she may have lost the ability to evaluate the situation.

The creation of the red light

In persistent cases of psychological violence, the aggressor often knows that he or she may be arrested and, over time, intensifies surveillance, which is also a form of aggression. In these cases, there is usually total or partial isolation of the victim.

To facilitate reporting in extreme cases, the authorities have created a very simple warning system: the red light. So, if the victim feels unable to speak, she can display a red X made on the palm of her hand even in a pharmacy, and the staff will report it.

Identifying a bully

A person with an acute sense of observation can identify an abuser if given the opportunity, because in his attempt to disguise himself, he ends up leaving some clues. Psychological violence is a crime of continuous action and at some point, the abuser may get careless. Read below for some possible ways to identify an abuser!

The abuser is contradictory

The victim of psychological violence usually already knows the aggressor, even if she refuses to admit the fact. Thus, positive identification of the perpetrator can be useful when relatives, friends, or even the authorities need corroborative information.

Because it is a constant crime, the aggressor will hardly be able to keep a lie in front of the right questions and will end up contradicting himself. These recurrent contradictions are enough to confirm the suspicion, starting a decision as to what to do.

The offender does not admit the facts

Denial of the facts is a standard attitude of criminals, which lasts until confronted with solid evidence. Thus, when in contact with the victim, they will never assume what they are really doing. Most likely, they will try to distort the facts and the victim will be the one who feels guilty.

However, someone who is outside the problem will hardly be deceived by the negatives when there are facts that are easy to prove. Therefore, by correctly pressing the aggressor, it will be possible to verify some inconsistency in his words.

The abuser uses what the victim likes against her

One of the objectives of acts of psychological violence is to exercise absolute control over the victim's life and, to do so, the aggressor will use all available means, no matter how sordid they may be. There is sadism in the offender's personality in cases of this type.

In this sense, the fear of losing something or someone important to the victim is also part of the bandit's arsenal. Thus, the victim sometimes suffers threats of losing everything she loves most, and this causes a great shock to her emotional state, leaving her increasingly fragile.

The perpetrator pits the victim against other people

When it comes to psychological violence, the isolation of the victim occurs naturally within the process. Indeed, if she maintains a lot of external contact, she may end up venting to someone. In addition, people who know her may notice suspicious changes in her behavior.

To reduce this risk, the aggressor uses a tactic of setting the victim against other people, including his family. Thus, through defamatory lies, manipulation of information and other means, the victim loses trust in people, according to the will of the aggressor.

The aggressor has positive words and actions that confuse the victim

One of the consequences of the actions of psychological violence is mental confusion, which destroys the victim's ability to react. Soon, she feels totally disoriented and, the worse this emotional state is, the better for the criminal's plans.

In order to keep her in this condition, the aggressor may, at the same time that he mistreats her, speak affectionate words, make compliments, that he only wants her well, and so on. It is a paradox that potentializes the confusion that is already installed in the victim's mind by his tormentor.

Common signs presented by victims of psychological violence

One of the great difficulties in penalizing a perpetrator of psychological violence is the collection of evidence, because the action leaves no physical marks. However, with the continuity of the act, the psychological marks begin to appear. Read on and learn about the types of signs that can be used to identify a victim of these acts!

The victim feels confused

A person who suffers from psychological violence will necessarily present signs, which manifest themselves through their emotional state. According to the victim's resistance, it may take more or less time, but the signs will certainly appear.

Mental confusion is one of these signs, because the person can not or does not want to believe what is happening. So, since he does not believe, he also does not know how to react and can not get a reasonable explanation for the fact. These factors will change his way of expressing himself and a careful observer can notice the fact.

The victim is always apologizing

The emotional state of any ordinary person is revealed through their attitudes, words and gestures. The continuity of the acts of mental aggression installs terror in the mind of the victim, who fears being punished at all times, even without any reason to justify the punishment.

Because of this critical situation, the victim feels she must apologize to her tormentor to avoid further torture. Thus, she apologizes for any act, even insignificant actions that, in her disturbed mind, can increase her suffering. The action becomes automatic and can be easily perceived by anyone.

The victim doesn't understand why he's not happier

The trauma that psychological violence can cause will depend on the severity of the case, but also on the victim's capacity for resistance, who, in some cases, is able to react and resume her life. However, for other cases, the damage is so great that there are no more happy moments, only pain and mental confusion.

Even if there is no lack of material goods or good feelings towards the aggressor, the victim loses sensitivity to happy moments, which, over time, become rarer, until they disappear completely.

The victim feels like he used to be a different person

Forms of psychological violence manage, over time, to extract the vitality, joviality, good humor and many other characteristics of a healthy and happy person. The sequence of events transforms the person into someone who is always sad, with their head down and their gaze powerless.

Although the change can be considered radical, the slow and progressive manner in which it occurs ends up mentally confusing the victim, who can no longer go back to how she was before. Although, at times, she can remember the way she acted and lived before the violence began, this does not last long.

The victim creates justifications for the aggressor's behavior

Only in cases where there is a quick and precise reaction, a person affected by psychological violence can fully recover. Thus, after the accommodation, a series of reasons will make the victim postpone the reaction. Reasons such as financial dependence, threats against his person or children among others.

However, the most serious point is when the victim understands the psychological violence as something she deserved and starts to defend the aggressor. Thus, she thinks that the only way to relieve her pain is to stay with him, submitting to his wills.

Why should psychological violence be criminalized?

Psychological violence, when at an advanced stage and due to its progressive nature, can cause far greater harm than physical violence. However, another difference between the two is that physical violence can be the result of momentary pressure, while the other needs time and premeditation to materialize.

Both types are equally cruel and cowardly, and it is in no way justifiable that only physical violence is seen as a crime. However, this has already been corrected, although with still lenient penalties for such vile acts. What needs to be done, now, is to educate people with a sense of responsibility and love for their neighbor.

The cases of violence, both physical and psychological, only increase as a consequence of a system that promotes selfishness and distancing between people. What the world lacks is the feeling of brotherhood under the divine aspect, which would make all people equal.