Domestic Violence in the United Kingdom - Essay Example

Analyzing a Paper Analyzing a Paper This paper researches and analyzes domestic violence in United Kingdom. The news values, sources, objectivity, use of language among other news aspects shall be established in the paper. Domestic violence is a social problem that rocks many families in the United Kingdom (UK). For many centuries, families treat the issue as private. Violence happens and goes unreported. In was legitimate in the past for a man to use violence and force in controlling his wife. The long-standing practices and believes made women suffer a lot. The society reinforced the right for men to beat their women. The society was structured in a manner that male dominated over women. Most leaders were male chauvinists hence male supremacy reigned. The legal system did not incorporate ways of dealing with domestic violence. Most women who suffered violence ended up being victimized as part of the problem. The article on The Guardian website gives a review on how domestic violence issue has been handled in the UK. The news value is educative and concern peaceful co-existence in a family or domestic set-up. The news is also bad as it highlights violence in homes. Violence affects relationships and consequently leads to health and psychological problems. The news angle is neutral but rebukes perpetrators of violence. It does not support violence in heterosexual or homosexual relationships. The article has employed a criticism language on the government for laxity in coming up with an appropriate legislation in time. The editorial agenda is to sensitize readers on the need to stop domestic violence in families (Humphreys et al. 2013). The article gives insight on how the fight against domestic violence has come a long way. With no legislations relating to domestic violence, most men took advantage of the situation. However, with the emergence of civil and human rights movements, the vice came to shame. Most citizens became sensitized on the need for peace in the family. Couples had to find better ways to resolve their differences. Women’s Aid was founded in 1970 as a feminist movement and campaign tool. Domestic violence and gender oppression became a priority to deal with for the group. Domestic violence and numerous forms of abuse were decisively dealt with by Women’s Aid among other groups that were founded. In 1979, statistic revealed that two women got killed weekly by their former or current partner. The articles makes cites government statistics and other two sources on domestic violence. The sources add information about the statistics on domestic violence. A great percentage of the article is from the author. The author’s arguments dominate the article with the sources supplementing his work. The author’s information is clear and concise. The article is objective in rebuking all kind of domestic violence whether male or female perpetrated or whether in a gay or heterosexual relationship. The image used is of a woman holding his face down, probably a victim of domestic violence. It portrays the harm and trauma that violence can bring to a victim. Domestic violence is a brutal act that cannot be condoned in any society. Government statistics reveals that one in every four women undergoes domestic violence during their lifetime. The price for domestic violence is not only paid by the victims but the society at large. Research carried out in 2004 by Professor Walby shows that the United Kingdom spends 23 billion pounds annually in dealing with domestic violence and related cases. The article diagnoses the measures taken by the UK government to deal with domestic violence. Domestic violence includes physical, emotional, financial, and psychological threatening behavior, abuse or violence leveled against family members or intimate partners. Domestic violence is perpetrated regardless of sexuality or gender. In 1878, legislation was introduced accepting domestic violence as grounds for a legal separation. (The Matrimonial Causes Act 1878). Campaigning by the First Wave Feminists brought about this legislation. Previous to this, the 1857 Act did not cite violence as a ground for divorce. Also, it was only wealthier women who could afford to take proceedings in which they could repossess their property and gain custody of their children in a divorce. In a society that promoted the dominance of men, where men casually justified beating their wives most women accepted violence as a way of life and remained subordinate to their husbands. When the second wave of Feminism rose in the 1960’s and early 1970’s the issue of domestic violence was systematically brought to public attention. During this time, new voluntary women’s centers were set up to provide services and support. This opened the floodgate for women who had been abused violently to seek help and find safety. From this, ‘Woman’s Aid’ was founded. Here women fleeing from a violent man could seek a safe haven along with practical and emotional support. During this period, there were few options available to women looking for alternatives to living with abuse and violence. Under the law of the time, except in the case of divorce, a woman could not seek protection, domestic violence was not accepted as a reason for homelessness and the police dismissed domestic violence as trivial and a waste of their resources. Other agencies such as Social Services responded by telling the women, “to go home and make it up." Before the early 1970’s there was a deafening silence across the Criminal Justice and Social Services to the issue of domestic violence, but with the commitment of Woman’s Aid and other women’s organizations the issue became highlighted. These organizations began to campaign for new laws and policies to ensure that the Government heard the victims and survivors of domestic violence. In 1971 Jack Ashley an active campaigner for women’s rights, was the first MP to raise the issue of domestic violence in Parliament after hearing about Woman’s Aid. "The Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1976" became the first Bill that got introduced to give protection rights to those at risk from violence. Women could now obtain an injunction. (The Guardian). This order was granted to prevent molestation and excluded the violent perpetrator from the home. These orders could be supported by arrest by the police if they were violated or breached. However, judges were reluctant to grant these orders unless the violence inflicted was severe and the police did not enforce their power of arrest as they still saw domestic violence as a civil and family matter. Research carried out in Scotland in 1978 revealed that one in four reported violent crimes was ‘wife assault, a figure since replicated many times. Throughout the 1980’s women’s groups continuously lobbied Government, so that domestic violence would be treated as a civil matter and a criminal offence. In 1990, an inquiry by the Law Commission on Domestic violence made recommendations for a new law to protect women from domestic violence. They took evidence from legal and court professionals and Woman’s Aid. By 1993, another inquiry into domestic violence by the Home Affairs Select Committee suggested that Government should make funding available to the refuges, which enabled existing refuges to remain open and new ones established throughout the country. The impact of this was that more women sought temporary refuge from their violent partners. It was during this time frame that there was heightened public awareness to domestic violence due to media and advertising interests in this huge problem. Storylines in British soap opera’s such as Brookside and Eastenders, cinema adverts which were all supported by the Home Office, Woman’s Aid and Refuge (Van and Roberts 2009). The Family Law Act of 1996 enabled many people who were experiencing violence to apply for court orders against their violent partners and abusers, whether they lived with them or not. The police had more powers to arrest the perpetrator if the order was not obeyed and they could take the abuser to court. This allowed more effective civil remedy for the victims to have protection from her abuser. During the 1990’s police forces began to develop new practices and strategies to improve a better understanding of and develop a response to domestic violence. The police due to changing government policies set up domestic violence units. Their aim was to provide advice, help, support and information. There was a responsibility to offer protection to the victim, investigate the crime and take positive action to bring offenders to justice. Many women, however, retracted their statements and police were powerless to bring a case to court. If child protection was sought the police instigated investigations by Social Services (The Guardian). A multi-agency approach to domestic violence was adopted and in force by the late 1980’s and recognized by Government. Around the country, there were strategies to monitor domestic violence incidents. Forums were set up which consisted of representatives from the police, social services, housing, and women’s groups and from the refuges. Their role was to discuss an effective policy to combat and eliminate domestic violence. The primary goal of these multi agency forums was the maintenance of adequate emergency refuge support including outreach programs for violated women and children. (The Guardian). The trouble with this approach was the power differences among the different agencies. The police and Social Services could overshadow the position of the refuge movement, which needed to remain central. Smaller agencies could become marginalized and have less significance within the general picture (Humphreys et al. 2013). By the late 1990’s, these multiagency programs and interagency programs were now a part of Government policy. Resource centers were set up to cover all contributing agencies so as to eliminate the trauma for women having to approach the many agencies. These centers were effective in gathering statistics and monitoring the effectiveness to all the agencies responding to domestic violence. The early 2000’s saw government taking a more positive attitude towards domestic violence. ‘The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victim Bill’ was debated in parliament. Its plans were to strengthen the rights of victims and ensure they received help and support. It also aimed to reform the criminal justice system, amending the process to favor victims. It proposed new powers for the police to deal with domestic violence cases, making a breach of a non- molestation order a criminal offence with a penalty of five years in prison. The second proposed measure was to make common assault a criminal offence. An independent commissioner for victims was to be established, to give victims a powerful voice at the heart of Government. It was also proposed that The Harassment Act 1997 be amended so that victims could have a say if the application was made to change a restraining order. Also, it was proposed that the Civil Law on domestic violence be strengthened so that co-habiting same-sex couples are subject to the same protection as heterosexual couples. This Bill was seen as “The biggest over-haul of domestic violence law in 30 years, heralding tough powers for the police and the courts to protect victims and prosecute abusers." (The Guardian). The Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act got passed by parliament and became law in 2004. It is applicable in Wales, England and Northern Ireland. Women’s Aid in partnership with 300 other organizations lobbied to amend this Bill during its progress through parliament. They welcomed that domestic violence was more firmly placed on the government’s agenda but to this day they are still demanding measures to guarantee equal accessibility to protection, justice and support to abused women having no recourse or access to public funds. The new legislation can only be as effective as its implementation. New partnerships need to be developed to provide support for the victims and punish the abusers. This can only be done with the justice system working with local authorities such as housing, social care, education and health, to promote and deliver new strategies to make domestic violence a priority for the safety of the victims and making the offenders answerable for their actions. Theresa May, the Conservative family spokesman said, “We have to send a clear and resounding message that this must stop-domestic violence can no longer be termed as ‘just a domestic. There must be a culture shift in relation to domestic violence." (The Guardian). For a culture change, we need to educate our children about the impact domestic violence has on society. They need to learn that domestic violence is not acceptable and that our future generations can live in a society where equality of all citizens can be shared and freest from violence. The article also raises issues about violence in same sex marriages. Intimate partner violence goes in records as a major public-health problem and affects a number of people. It results to psychological and physical injuries and at times even leads to death. Even most accomplished persons like politicians and celebrities fall victims of this act. About 8 million domestic violence cases get reported in the United Kingdom. The survey shows that 25% of the cases are gay victims. About 1,300 death cases got attributed to gay intimate partner violence last year. Gay people face challenges when it comes to domestic violence victimization. Family, coworkers, friends, and professionals assume that, in a homosexual relationship, the abuse is mutual. Others also believe that it is the norm since the relationship is perceived to be dysfunctional as it not heterosexual. Such beliefs and discrimination make it difficult for gays to get help. Another challenge the gay face is fear of losing jobs, friends or child custody, should their sexual affiliation become publicly known. Gays do not get any financial or legal protection as heterosexuals, and that challenges their ability to be independent after breaking up with the abuser. There exist a couple of false assumptions that are related to violence in gay relationships. One of assumptions is that the perpetrators of violence are men and women are always the victims of abuse. The reality is that men can be victims of violence and women also perpetrate violence against their mates. Intimate partner violence involves control and power. Power differences exist even among gay people and can be abused. Another assumption is that the battering is mutual and is never severe. It is a belief that men are violent thus nothing is wrong when they get into a fight. Some describe it as "men being men." Some consider it appropriately masculine and very normal. Since the partners are of the same sex, then the violence is equivocated to them being alike hence all right. The truth is that nothing is normal about one becoming battered. Injuries inflicted can be dangerous and even cause death. Sometimes one of the partners may be physically weaker than the other. Observations and experience from heterosexual abuse and traditional sex roles have made many have stereotype thinking about batterers. However such thinking does not help when it comes to identifying the perpetrator of violence in a same sex relationship. A small person who is prone to violence and rage can do more harm than a tall, strong and non-violent person. Physical appearance should not be used to decide whether an individual is a perpetrator or a victim of violence. To be violent is a choice because better choices exist. For an action taken, responsibility comes with it. Alcohol and drugs are excuses for committing violence. Research shows that perpetrators of violence who abuse alcohol and other drugs are also violent while sober. If a violent person is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, then he is a victim of two serious but separate problems. An assumption that gay intimate partner violence is perpetrated by gays who meet at bars or who are racists is unfounded. Gay intimate partner violence is a non-discriminatory act. Perpetrators of violence come from all walks of life. They are people from different socioeconomic strata, ethnic groups and educational backgrounds. The gay community is comprised of people from the majority and minority groups. It is baseless to point out that gay individuals are from a given community, race or a certain religion. There is yet another assumption that it is easy for gay intimate partners to walk out of a relationship when it gets violent. Just like in a heterosexual relationship, gays share the same affection as normal couples and their lives get intertwined. Because of societal discrimination and condemnation of gays, they are very protective of their relationships. Gay partners are not likely to split because of violence. Quitting is a hard thing for them to accomplish. Perpetrators sometimes threaten their victims making it even difficult to quit the relationship. Leaving in such a scenario poses a danger to the life of the victim. Quitting also requires self-confidence, high self-esteem and self-reliance. Those character qualities become eroded because of the abuse one has undergone. Quitting the relationship may also mean leaving ones friends, home and community. Another school of thought equates gay intimate partner violence to domestic violence between heterosexuals. The fact that gays have no proper spelled out legal protection and lack of societal support makes their relationships challenging. Gay intimate partners do not respond to stress as heterosexuals do. The responses are different because the dynamics between same sex relationships and heterosexual relationships are different (Lombard and McMillan 2013). The article states that gay people are less likely to tell a doctor or any medical practitioner that they are undergoing domestic violence. This is majorly because of their inability to pronounce their sexual orientation. Studies reveal that gays are reluctant to make known their sexual orientation for they fear discrimination. They may also be reserved about revealing a problem that affects the relationship. This becomes so when the gay individual believes that a medical practitioner discriminates against gay relationships. Studies also reveal that gay individuals are less likely to report cases of violence to the police. Both the left and right wing are against domestic violence. However, the left wing gives it a masculine approach. The left wing politicians believe that women are isolationists. They believe in equality for men and fair treatment will solve the problem. The right wing have a feminism campaign aimed at promoting equality for women. The right wing politicians’ state note that domestic violence is caused due to male dominance. The news value is educative and concern peaceful co-existence in a family or domestic set-up. Violence affects relationships and consequently leads to health and psychological problems. The news angle is neutral but rebukes perpetrators of violence. It does not support violence in heterosexual or homosexual relationships. The article has employed a criticism language on the government for laxity in coming up with an appropriate legislation in time. The editorial agenda is to sensitize readers on the need to stop domestic violence in families (Humphreys et al. 2013). References Article: www.theguardian.com/society/domestic-violence Humphreys, C., Laing, L., & Cavanagh, K. (2013). Social work and domestic violence: Developing critical and reflective practice. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE. Lombard, N., & McMillan, L. (2013). Violence against women: Current theory and practice in domestic abuse, sexual violence and exploitation. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Van, W. K. S., & Roberts, A. R. (2009). Death by domestic violence: Preventing the murders and murder-suicides. Westport, Conn: Praeger. Read More