Problem of Domestic Violence Against Men - Book Report/Review Example

0 Literature Review The problem of domestic violence is one which is often not regarded as important, specifically because of the number of women who report abuse and the unspoken amount of violence which occurs among men. The lack of records that are available for domestic violence against men often leads to many believing that the problem is not as serious. This is followed by the social status of men with the belief that violence and the cultural and social aspects cause the violence to remain irrelevant. Despite the lack of notice given to domestic violence against men, it can still be regarded as a serious problem. There are several areas of evidence which indicate that domestic violence is a major issue among men in society. 1.1 Facts Based on Domestic Violence The amount of domestic violence which is reported constitutes of 85% of the reports based on abuse against women. It is also noted that there is a record of 15% of men stating that they have been in a case of domestic violence. This average is inclusive of 3 million women as victims of domestic violence and between 100,000 to 600,000 men who are under the same difficulty. The victimization is known to reach those who are divorced at higher rates because of the tensions which are associated with the abuse. Income levels, location and individuals of a younger age are more likely to experience domestic violence. It is noted that the men which report domestic violence is below average of the realistic facts, specifically because men are surrounded by a social facade of remaining stronger than women and not expressing fear toward a woman who has perpetrated abuse. However, the psychological components of this state that an abusive relationship is usually inclusive of both partners being perpetrators of the violence, indicating the reports and statistics don’t align with the realities of abuse (DVRC, 2011). 1.2 Social Order and Violence Amongst Men While the statistics note a significantly lower number among men, the same survey indicates that men aren’t likely to report incidents of domestic violence because of the social factors which occur. This is followed by the acceptability of domestic violence among women which occurs in most countries, specifically because of the social role which women have in society with the male dominance being the main factor. It has been found that the reports of domestic violence as well as the occurrences which arise come specifically from the acceptability of the issue. Women becoming victims to a perpetrator are the most known incidents and social relations to blame. Victim blaming then becomes a main reason why men aren’t regarded as being in violent situations that occur domestically (Gracia, Herrero, 2006). The social components of those who are regarded as being in a domestic violence situation are furthered by attitudes of men who are victims to the main problem. The interrelationships which occur in a situation with domestic violence are known to be related directly to the amount of violence which occurs. When examining these relationships, it is seen that the violence from men and women occur at the same level, causing neither to be the perpetrator or victim. However, the social role which occurs after reporting the incident leads to the victim and perpetrator role, most of the time in which the man becomes the one who is responsible for the incident. The psychological aggression among women is also noted to be higher while the physical aggression among men is what leads to perpetrating the violent incidents (Stuart et al, 2006). The aggression among both women and men, as well as the roles which are played socially are also conducted in response to positions which men and women have in society. This begins with the roles which each are expected to play and how the responses and psychological components relate to this. At this point, women and men are able to have equal measures in terms of employment, education and needs within the home. It has also been found that as the gender symmetry continues to change women are becoming more violent in the household. An increase in the amount of violence toward men continues to increase among men and women equally. However, according to the single casual factor theory, the men in domestic violence situations are either not reporting what has occurred or continue to function with a sense of male dominance. Studies have shown (Straus, 2006) that the amount of male violence continues to rise; however, the combination of male dominance and the reporting which relate the problem to a single factor, which leads to women being the abused and men the perpetrators, stops from the realities of domestic violence being accurately reported (Straus, 2006). 1.3 The Reality of Domestic Violence The role which men play in both the relationship and in society has created the main gap in understanding the seriousness of domestic violence against men. It has been found that an average of 11% of men don’t report a domestic violent incident because of the social status or the intimate relationship which is held with a woman. At the same time, women who are perpetrators of violent crimes often lead to dismissals or aren’t reported to add into the main statistics. It has been found that over 20% of women have been arrested for incidents of domestic violence against men. It was also noted that this was still based on most men not reporting the incident because of the psychological relationship with gender role and the difficulty in seeking help for a situation unless it became severe or life threatening (Cook, 2009). The findings that most men don’t report domestic violence leads to other factors which are attributed to the mental health of those in abusive situations. An intimate relationship which experiences abuse doesn’t occur after a partnership, co-habitation or marriage occurs. It has been found that the abuse occurs after a given period of time because of the tensions which are in the household and the dynamics which grow through this time. It has also been found that those who co-habituate and have a child are more subjected to violent situations. Women who have just given birth are more likely to act in violent situations, specifically because of the mental health problems, increased anxiety and depression and other complexities which are common after giving birth. The women are known to move toward violence, heavy drinking and drug abuse more frequently (Deklyen, et al, 2006). The violence which occurs toward men is followed by the beliefs which men may have toward various incidents and the behavioral responses which occur. If an incidence of violence occurs, most are likely to disregard it as a minor problem or one which can be solved within the household. It was also noted that the domestic violence which does occur tends to be higher among women with reports because of the reactions of men. Even when the women perpetrate the violence, men can come back with violent behaviors. Women are then subjected to the violence and are required to receive help. Instead of men reporting the incident or getting out of the situation, there is a response to balance the situation, which leads to the violence taking place among both men and women. The problem of domestic violence, instead of being looked at with women as the victims and men as the perpetrators, needs to be reconsidered with the dynamics of a relationship and how both are subjected to the same complexities of violence when in a household (Boyle, Todd, 2003). Another misunderstanding of domestic violence which disregards the seriousness of male violence is from the community support and networks which are available. It is known that 70% of women who are in domestic violent relationships will go to a woman shelter or find a way out of the relationship. However, there aren’t centers for men who are in abusive relationships and few to no contributions which are related to the domestic violence in the community. Unless a problem becomes severe, men aren’t able to receive the same type of help from the women that are in the relationship. The lack of community based work available to help men against domestic violence then leads further into a cycle of abuse where men are unable to completely get out of the situation, even in the case of a divorce. The lack of strategy to help with the amount of abuse which men face then causes many men to disregard the severity of the issue until medical assistance is required (Wilcox, 2006). The concept of not having assistance, as well as the dynamics of intimate relationships lead further into the lack of legalities and regulations for men who suffer from domestic violence. The amount of domestic violence against women also pushed for reforms, community assistance, legalities and protective forces which could help women to get out of abusive situations. However, the men who have not spoken about domestic violence or which have disregarded the issue have also led to a lack of legalities and protection for men in a similar situation. The inability to have restorative justice or to provide limitations for women that have a violent attitude toward men has then created conditions which men often can’t overcome when in a violent situation (Nancarrow, 2006). 1.4 Summary The concept of domestic violence against men is one which can be noted as a serious problem. However, the lack of available data and the official reports minimize the problem of men who are in violent situations. Further, the social consideration of patriarchy and the role of male dominance have led to a lack of reporting among men, despite the amount of violence which is known to occur among men. Unless men require medical assistance, there isn’t reporting of domestic violence in the community. As women become more equal in society, there is a rise in domestic violence with a lack of legal and community responses available. This continues to cause men to remain in violent situations and to move forward with the cycle of violence within the household. The seriousness of this issue can be seen to relate to psychological, social, behavioral and legal attitudes present in the community, all which are causing a lack of assistance for men facing domestic violence. References Boyle, A, C Todd. (2003). “Incidence and Prevalence of Domestic Violence in a UK Emergency Department.” Emergency Medical Journal (20). Cook, PW. (2009). Abused Men: The Hidden Side of Domestic Violence. Connecticut: Praeger Publishers. Deklyen, Michelle, Jeanne Gunn, Sara McLanahan, Jean Knab. (2006). “The Mental Health of Married, Cohabitating, and Non – Coresident Parents with Infants.” American Journal of Public Health 96 (10). DVRC. (2011). Domestic Violence Statistics. Retrieved from: http://www.dvrc-or.org/domestic/violence/resources/C61/#mal. Gracia, Enrique, Juan Herrero. (2006). “Acceptability of Domestic Violence Against Women in the European Union: A Multilevel Analysis.” Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health (60). Nancarrow, Heather. (2006). “In Search of Justice for Domestic and Family Violence.” Theoretical Criminology 10 (1). Straus, Murray. (2006). “Future Research on Gender Symmetry in Physical Assaults on Partners.” Violence Against Women 12 (11). Stuart, Gregory, Jeffrey Meehan, Todd Moore, Meghan MOrean,Julianne Hellmuth. (2006). “Examining a Conceptual Framework of Intimate Partner Violence in Men and Women Arrested for Domestic Violence.” Journal of Studies on Alcohol 67 (1). Wilcox, Paula. (2006). “Communities, Care and Domestic Violence.” Critical Social Policy 26 (4). Read More