Domestic Violence (Sneha John 1114326)
Domestic violence should not happen to anybody Ever, but it does and it is hard for the viewers to read and watch any kind of violence for that matter. Domestic violence and emotional abuse are behaviours used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Partners may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; living together, separated or dating. Violence can be criminal a nd includes physical assault (hitting, pushing, shoving, etc.), sexual abuse (unwanted or forced sexual activity), and stalking. Although emotional, psychological and financial abuses are not criminal behaviours, they are forms of abuse and can lead to criminal violence. The violence ta kes many forms and can happen all the time or once in a while. Victims can be of any age, sex, race, culture, religion, education, employment or marital status. http://www.domesticviolence.org/ The history of domestic violence goes back to the beginning of man. Ever since life was created, inferior people were always taken advantage of by dominant people in society. Since men are stronger physically than women, the women were usually the inferior ones that were taken advantage of. If you go back to Roman Times, if a wife was to e ver cheat on her husband in the past, she could be sentenced to death. During the middle ages, the husband had every right to abuse his wife. If you look back to the 1960’s and 1970’s, you will see that little was done to prevent or stop domestic violence. If the police were ever involved, they usually would leave it to be resolved by the family. https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/domesticviolence/domesticviolencec.cfm Even though many years had passed from the Roman Times and middle ages, wife beatings are still seen as acceptable by some groups in society. Once the 1980’s came, a lot of different changes took place. If the police were called for help with domestic violence, they no longer ignored it. They would arrest and convict those who were guilty of domestic violence. If you look in today’s society, not much has changed. Historically, domestic violence has been framed and understood exclusively as a women's issue. Domestic abuse affects women, but also has devastating consequences for other populations and societal institutions. Men also can be
victims of abuse; children are affected by exposure to domestic violence, and formal institutions face enormous challenges responding to domestic violence in their communities. The effects of domestic violence on victims are more typically recognized, but perpetrators also are impacted by their abusive behaviour as they stand to lose children, damage relationships, and face legal consequences. Domestic viol ence cuts across every segment of society and occurs in all age, racial, ethnic, socio-economic, sexual orientation, and religious groups. Domestic violence is a social, economic, and health concern that does not discriminate. As a result, communities across the country are developing strategies to stop the violence and provide safe solutions for victims of domestic violence. https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/domesticviolence/domesticviolencec.cfm Some of the myths regarding domestic violence:
‘Domestic violence is not a problem in my community’.
‘Domestic violence only happens to poor women and women of colour’ - because
Domestic violence happens in all kinds of families and relationships. Persons of any class, culture, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, age, and sex can be victims or perpetrators of domestic violence.
‘Some people deserve to be hit’ - No one deserves to be abused and the only person
responsible for the abuse is the abuser. Physical violence, even among family members, is wrong and against the law.
‘Alcohol, drug abuse, stress, and mental illness cause domestic violence’ -
Alcohol use, drug use, and stress do not cause domestic violence; the y may go along with domestic violence, but they do not cause the violence. Abusers often sa y they use these excuses for their violence. Generally, domestic violence happens when an abuser has learned and chooses to abuse. Domestic violence is rarely caused by mental illness, but it is often used as an excuse for domestic violence.
‘If it were that bad, she would just leave’ -There are many reasons why women
may not leave. Not leaving does not mean that the situation is okay or that the victim wants to be abused. Leaving can be dangerous and the most dangerous time for a woman who is being abused is when she tries to leave. http://www.domesticviolence.org/ Causes
Some people believe domestic violence occurs because the victim provokes the abuser to violent action, while others believe the abuser simpl y has a problem managing anger. In fact, the roots of domestic violence can be attributed to a variety of cultural, social, economic, and psychological factors. As a learned behaviour, domestic violence is modelled by individuals, institutions, and society, which may influence the perspectives of children and adults regarding its acceptability. Domestic violence is reinforced by cultural values and beliefs that are repeatedly communicated through the media and other societal i nstitutions that tolerate it. The perpetrator's violence is further supported when peers, famil y members, or others in the community minimize or ignore the abuse and fail to provide consequences. As a result, the abuser learns that not only is the behaviour justifie d, but also it is acceptable. Psychopathology, substance abuse, poverty, cultural factors, anger, stress, and depression often are thought to cause domestic violence. While there is little empirical evidence that these factors are direct causes of domestic violence, research suggests that they can affect its severity, frequency, and the nature of the perpetrator's abusive behaviour.
We see the sociological perspective of domestic violence where it sees it in concrete views. Firstly, they view domestic violence as an extension of the broader patriarchal script that is so prevalent in our society. The second view is that most modern definitions of domestic violence include the notion of an individual using their abusive behaviour to gain or maintain power and control over their intimate partner. This has parallels to the social-conflict theory. In the context of a heterosexual relationship, it is typically the male who possesses more resources and power than the female. Within this context, it is not surprising that the majority of victims are females and the majority of perpetrators are males. Unless there is a paradigm shift, and until women have equal access to resources within intimate relationships, the issue of domestic violence will continue to disproportionately affect women. Thirdly, there is much debate concerning the appropriate
approach to the issue of domestic violence. Although women have gained protection from the law, such as the Violence Against Women Act, the fair and equal application of the law in real-life situations should be thoroughly scrutinized. The fourth view being that although victims of domestic violence have many resources available, the continued prevalence of domestic violence suggests that these resources are not appropriately meeting the needs of domestic violence victims, nor is current social policy adequate in alleviating the problem in general. Furthermore, stigma towards female victims and their lack of access to social resources perpetuates the helplessness that many domestic violence victims may feel about their situation. Lastly, although rates of domestic violence have dec reased, it appears that domestic violence against both males and females has declined at similar rates. In addition, although females are abused at a much higher rate, intimate violence against males is actually reported to the police at a higher rate than intimate violence against women. This suggests that, although laws are aimed at protecting women from domestic violence, men who are victimized actually have greater access to the legal system to address incidences of domestic abuse. It also suggests that current policy, while relieving domestic violence overall, does little to directly address gender differences in victimization. In other words, although women are more susceptible to domestic violence, relief efforts are not effectively addressing the gender inequality that serves as a foundational aggravate for violence again. http://csi.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/09/12/0011392112456503.abstract
Many believe the historical inequality of women and gender socialization of females and males contribute to the root causes of domestic violence. Until the 1970's, women who were raped or suffered violence in their homes had no formal pla ce to go for help or support. Shelters and services for victims of domestic violence did not exist and there was little, if any, response from criminal or civil courts, law enforcement, hospitals, and social service agencies. Society and its formal institutions viewed domestic violence as a private matter. As awareness and recognition of this problem grew, groups of women organized an advocacy movement that focused on addressing the safety needs of victims and the systemic barriers and social attitudes that contributed to domestic violence. Volunteers established safe havens and crisis services for victims of domestic violence in their homes and held meetings where they began to define violence against women as a political issue. This grass roots effort, commonly referred to as the "Battered Women's Movement," revolutionized the responses to injustices against women into a social movement that forms
the foundation of existing domestic violence advocacy and community-based programs throughout the country. https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/domesticviolence/domesticviolencec.cfm The need for safe alternatives for victims of domestic violence called for a major social transformation and the Battered Women's Movement was an essential part of that struggle. Feminists, community activists, and survivors of rape and domestic violence responded with three primary goals: (1) securing sh elter and support for victims and their children, (2) improving legal and criminal justice responses, and (3) changing the public consciousness about domestic violence. Domestic violence programs also engage in continuous advocacy efforts that include developing public awareness campaigns, collaborating with community service providers, and being active in political l obbying efforts aimed at improving safety for victims and their children. One of the benefits of the increased awareness of the problem garnered by these activities is the greater recognition that many sectors of society — beyond shelters, law enforcement, and the judicial system — have important roles to play in identifying and addressing this problem. These sectors include child welfare, health care, mental health, substance abuse treatment, business, and faith communities. Along with the recognition that legal sanctions are not always the best response, there is a growing awareness that communities themselves must take responsibility for preventing and aiding victims of domestic violence by establishing programs and services that meet the needs of their citizens. One example is a community-based approach that involves combining the efforts of law enforcement, domestic violence victim advocates, social service providers, faith-based communities, and community members. https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/domesticviolence/domesticviolencec.cfm
