Introduction

The Impact of Abuse on the Identity, Self-worth and Self-esteem of Individuals

Domestic abuse involves any behavior in a romantic relationship that causes physical, sexual, emotional, economic or mental harm to an individual, regardless of whether they live in the same household. A World Health Organization (2018) report states that approximately 1 in 3 women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner or non-partner – 33% in the WHO African region for a lifetime of intimate partner violence. Furthermore, it is known globally as one of the most widespread human rights abuses and public health problems in the world today, but the actual percentage is not known because individuals who experience this rarely disclose it out of fear of their partners. These numbers and facts show the extent to which domestic abuse is concerned, and prolonged exposure to this type of abuse usually affects the victim’s mental health, causing them to question their self-worth and struggle with their identity, which damages or lowers their self-esteem. In this article, we are going to highlight the impact of domestic abuse on identity, self-worth and self-esteem.

Impact of abuse on self-worth

The 9th edition of the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines self-worth as the feeling of confidence that you are a good and useful person. Domestic abuse usually tears at that confidence, reducing it to a third of what it originally was and making the victim feel worthless and inadequate, especially when trying to meet their partner’s needs. You can notice low self-worth in a victim when,

• They view themselves and their beliefs in a negative light.
• They believe they are not needed by the people around them.
• They blame themselves for the trauma they experienced.
• They find it difficult to set boundaries between themselves and the people around them.
• They internalize negative messages and criticism from their partner.

Impact of abuse on identity

The 9th edition of the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines identity as the characteristics, feelings or beliefs that distinguish people from others, or to put it plainly, identity is basically who you are as a person and what differentiates you from everyone around you. Identity is shaped out of the experiences we go through in life, and as we shape our core beliefs, it is normal to want to share those beliefs with those around us. Domestic abuse distorts these beliefs and reduces their significance, thereby implying that the victim’s experiences were meaningless and pointless. This attitude towards the victims’ beliefs can affect the way they see the world, and they would always wonder whether they are learning or absorbing the right thing as they grow. You can recognize an identity crisis in a victim when

• They feel lost or confused about themselves.
• They find it difficult to articulate their values, beliefs and goals.
• They have a distorted image of themselves.
• They have strong feelings of shame whenever they think about themselves.

Impact of abuse on self-esteem

The 9th edition of the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines self-esteem as a feeling of being happy with your character and abilities, and a literature review in Wiley Online Library Journal defines self-esteem, in the context of a relationship, as the worth that an individual attributes to himself or herself through mutual relationship, which means that high self-esteem relates to a healthy relationship while low self-esteem is a symptom of an unhealthy relationship. You can recognize someone with low self-esteem when,

• They negatively describe and evaluate themselves.
• They deny the existence of the abuse.
• They are unable to recognize themselves.
• Their overall perception of their self-image is negative.
• They have low self-respect.
• They have low self-confidence.