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- General: It is important to note that abuse is never the victim's fault. Oftentimes, victims feel as though they brought the abuse on themselves. They might feel like they did something wrong and deserve to be yelled at or perhaps they were too flirtatious and gave the abuser the wrong impression. However, this is not the case. The abuser is the only person to blame.
- Anyone can be a victim of domestic or sexual abuse. Therefore, individuals should educate themselves and their children about abuse so that they can identify and prevent potentially harmful situations.
- Domestic abuse: Individuals who were abused or exposed to domestic abuse during childhood have an increased risk of becoming abusers. Other factors that may cause individuals to abuse others include stress, financial difficulties, depression, jealousy, substance abuse, and mental illness.
- Sexual abuse: Several factors may cause individuals to sexually abuse children. It has been suggested that stress, difficulty controlling anger, isolation from family or friends, alcohol, drug abuse, personal history of being abused, lack of nurturing qualities, personal problems (e.g. unemployment or marital problems), and/or mental health problems (e.g. anxiety or depression) may cause an individual to sexually abuse a child. In addition, some cultural beliefs may lead to sexual abuse of a child. For instance, beliefs that children are property, parents have the right to control their children, and girls should be genitally mutilated to assure that they are virgins until marriage, may lead to sexual abuse.
- Sexual predators may abuse adults because they feel the need to exert power, control, and/or humiliation over someone else.
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