Does the Human Rights law have an impact on preventing domestic violence in the UK - Literature review Example

However, recent studies have shown that it is, for many women, a hidden place of unending suffering (Gibb and Ford 2008). Violent behaviour in the domestic setting is usually carried out by men who have in the past been, or are in position of power and intimacy in the relationships they have with their victims. Abusers could be the father, husband, father-in-law, boyfriend, stepfather, brother, or uncle of their victim. The statistics on acts of domestic violence in the past few years have greatly increased.

The acts perpetrated by the abusers also seem to grow more disturbing. According to (Hester and Westmarland 2005) a woman is physically assaulted somewhere in Britain every fifteen seconds. It has also been established that 35% of women’s visits to hospital emergency rooms are due to because of ongoing domestic violence. Many behavioural therapists believe that domestic violence has its roots in the existence of the patriarchal family (Haugen 2004). Most of the world’s cultures hold that wives and children are the property of the man, who is viewed as the head of the home.

Religious teachings in all of the world’s religions also emphasise on male authority. Even though the British public does not outwardly espouse these theories, there is still the inference or stress on the importance of men in its culture. This is obvious in the fact that the leadership positions in most of the nation’s institutions are held by men. Men are excused from household chores while women are expected to keep spotless homes while also being successful in the workplace. In many cases, women who are married or are in relationships, earn less than their partners do.

They may be dependent on the financial contributions of their spouses to raise the children born to the union and also maintain the home. Women in such positions make the perfect candidates for domestic violence because they cannot simply leave their homes or children (Mc Laughlin and Muncie 2006). In