Millions of women and children have died or been seriously injured as a result of domestic violence. Domestic violence is illegal and includes assault, rape, battery, and murder committed by someone the victim is close to. This could be a relative, parent, child, spouse or dating partner. Although both men and women can suffer abuse, 85% of victims are women. There are many causes of modern domestic violence, but most fall into four categories: sexual abuse, financial abuse, physical abuse, and emotional abuse. The impacts of domestic violence are yet to be understood. The history of domestic violence has changed the way its different types are perceived, leaving lasting scars on all those affected by it. Global condemnation of domestic violence is a relatively new phenomenon. Historically, most human societies have considered some forms of violence in family relationships permissible and others deviant. The history of domestic violence begins in colonial times, when abuse against women, children and slaves was considered normal behavior. Anglo-American common law gave the male head of a family the authority to act as both disciplinarian and protector of all who depended on him and “granted full legal status only to its male head” (Curry). He could beat his wife to discipline her if she did something he didn't approve of, and women had no political right to help him against this behavior. Prospects began to improve after the colonial period, when, in 1848, a conference was held in Seneca Falls, New York, dedicated to women's rights. It was aptly named The Seneca Falls Convention and was the first of its kind. This convention created “a statement that in part criticized the law for… middle of paper… successfully restoring lives. Works Cited Birmingham, Rachel. "Domestic violence: behaviors and causes". Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Social Issues. Ed. Michael Shally-Jensen. vol. 3: Family and society. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2011. 900-908. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Network. January 24, 2012.Browne, Angela. When battered women kill. New York: Free, 1987. Print. February 16, 2012Curry, Lynne. "Domestic violence". Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd. vol. 3. New York: Sons of Charles Scribner, 2003. 72-75. Gale Student Resources in Context. Network. February 20, 2012.Ewing, Charles Patrick. Battered women who kill: Psychological self-defense as legal justification. Lexington, Massachusetts ; Toronto: Lexington, 1987. Print. February 17, 2012.NNEDV. "On domestic violence." National Network to End Domestic Violence. Network. 16 February. 2012.