MIND SPACE (READING FOR INSPIRATION)

EMOTIONAL ABUSE AND INDIAN SYSTEM
-Bagampiriyal

Everyone has the right to work and live in an environment that’s free from harassment discrimination and violence. If being around a family member feel scared and confused then it means that he or she is experiencing emotional abuse. An emotional abuser aims to weaken the other person’s confidence and independence. Emotional abuse is a form of domestic and family violence and can occur anyone to anytime in their family as a child as a teenager or an adult. Emotional abuse is a destructive and damaging as physical abuse and can impact your mental health. Abuse is used as a way to maintain power to control over someone. Physical violence is often seen as a being more serious than emotional abuse but this simply isn’t true. The scars of emotional abuse are real and long-lasting. It is important to seek help if a person is emotionally abused.

According to section 498 A of the Indian Penal Code any relative of husband or husband subjects woman to cruelty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extract to three years and shall also be liable to fine cruelty means---

a) Any willful conduct which is of such a nature as is likely to drive the woman to commit suicide or to cause grave injury or danger to life, limb or health (whether mental or physical) of the woman or

b) Harassment of the woman where such harassment is with a view to coercing her or any person related to her to meet any unlawful demand for any property or valuable security or on account to her to meet such demand.

All complaints under section 498 A should be filed at the police station or Magistrate and it will be sent to the committee. The committee must look into the matter and send a report within 30 days to the authority that referred the complaint. This is a valid ground on the basis of which mental cruelty can be claimed. The main evidences that are in 498 A are medical evidences, eye witnesses, whatsapp and email messages.

When asked a woman subject to emotional abuse she only complained about belittling insults, manipulation and heaps of blame for taking up so much of his time. He rewrote her papers, ruined relationships with many other friends and prohibited her from doing things that he disapproved of. But all this behaviour is basically wrong. Some children brought up in abusive families may not even be able to identify that this is a wrong behaviour because they are used to it. Each and every human being deserve to be treated politely and should enjoy the freedom to pursue career of their own choice. Women at home should have the freedom at least inside the little space of their home. A home is a comfort zone but when someone is scared to be with a family member at home then the basic nature of a home is questioned.

Emotional abuse is the hardest form of abuse to recognize. It can be subtle, covert and manipulative. It chips away at the victim’s self-esteem and they begin to doubt the perceptions and reality. It is a vicious cycle that many unfortunately never escape. Narcissistic, Sociopathic, and Psychopathic personality types can be difficult to be proved. They can be charismatic and engaging beyond reproach fooling the most clever of all. If you are emotionally abused it is not your fault, you did not do anything to cause it.

Emotional abuse can be harder to spot because it doesn’t leave a bruise. The court system do not recognize it except in rare circumstance where the victim has provided years of clear documentation. This is why many deal with their abuse in silence.

Sometimes it may happen that woman undergoing emotional abuse take legal remedies and it happens that she files false complaints under section 498A by roping in-laws without a valid reason and for setting a score with the husband who is either a narcissist or psychopath. Some legal measures have to be solicited to resolve emotional conflicts caused by Narcissist or psychopath or a Sociopath.In any kind of mental illness the focus is on the parson who is affected by the mental disorder but the victim also deserves equal amount of focus and attention of the family and the society as a whole because healing and recovery from a trauma bonded relationship is not that easy. Change is only a thought away let us be the change we see