Police Involvement in Domestic Violence - Research Paper Example

? Domestic Violence Domestic violence is an act of violence that is committed by one member of anintimate or personal relationship on another. Such acts of violence have been taking place within the human race from time immemorial and have come to be viewed in different ways, depending on the values of the societies in which it occurs. While domestic violence has been taking place for a long time, over the last few centuries, such violence has come to be viewed, especially in the Western world, as not only being abusive in nature, but also being illegal. In many western countries, domestic violence is not tolerated by the society and it is seen to be an infringement on the personal rights of an individual. In other parts of the world; however, it is considered a normal thing with many societies believing that it is the right of a husband to punish his wife and children as he sees fit. Most definitions of this act state that it is an act of violence from one partner in a relationship on another. However, this definition can also be expanded to include acts of violence and abuse from parents on their children, which in most cases is often similar. Domestic violence can be said to have many causes and these tend to be based on the sense of insecurity that one feels towards the person to whom the act is being committed. In addition, it has been noted that alcohol abuse is also one of the causes of such behavior. While there is still a high prevalence of domestic violence in the western world, laws have been put in place to combat this vice. Not only is there regular police intervention in such matters but courts have been given the mandate of prosecuting the perpetrators of such violence (Bachman and Coker, 1995). This intervention by the government and the law has had a positive effect in the reduction of instances of domestic violence, but despite this, there are still numerous instances of unreported cases. This is because while many individuals, especially women, are in abusive relationships, they tend not to report it either because they are afraid of their partners, or because they are jobless and are afraid of losing the economic security provided by their abusive partners. There are various forms of domestic violence and while most of it may be physical, there are instances where it may be emotional or otherwise. Physical violence or abuse involves an individual attacking his or her partner physically with the intention of either inspiring fear in them or causing them bodily harm. This type of violence may also be sexual, as one partner forces the other to have intercourse with them despite the fact that such activity is unwanted. Moreover, domestic violence may take the form of emotional abuse, where the partner in situations that are either private or public causes the victim embarrassment. In such circumstances, the victim often feels imprisoned by their partner because their movements tend to be restricted and their partners limit the people with whom they can associate. Domestic violence has been found to have a significant impact on those children who either experience or witness it. These children tend to end up suffering in their developmental as well as psychological wellbeing, and this has an influence on the way they come to behave among their peers (Spilsbury et al 2008). Children who experience domestic violence tend to express themselves through violent acts against other children. It has been found that a large number of those children who are bullies come from homes where domestic violence is a common occurrence. In addition, many of the people who commit domestic violence against their partners tend to come from backgrounds where such acts occurred regularly. The treatment for domestic violence can take various approaches but the most common way is through therapy. Couples that experience domestic violence undergo counseling so that the problems that cause such acts can be addressed and resolved. Another treatment option that can be used is the Duluth Model, which follows a path that is designed to empower women, who are considered the victims, so that they can be better able to take care of themselves in dealing with violent situations. The latter method has been found to be highly effective because it has seen a decrease in the instances of domestic violence among the victims of such acts over time. Battered woman’s syndrome is a psychological condition that is related to domestic violence and is defined as the situation where a woman develops helplessness after repeated violence against her. This is a form of depression that leads to a woman feeling so helpless after experiencing domestic violence, that she becomes unable to take any action to defend herself from the perpetrator. Normally, it is used as a defense in court cases, where women have been abused for so long that they have ended up killing their abusers. While it is presented as a defense, this condition is still a controversial issue since there are still doubts in the legal system concerning its authenticity (Wallace 2004). Domestic violence is an issue that is current all over the world and with the advent of globalization; it is likely to become a legal issue even in societies that do not take it seriously. It is a vice, which should be treated a crime that requires severe punishment so that the perpetrators are discouraged from committing such acts again. More measures should be taken by government to ensure that there is more intervention in those situations where domestic violence is being or is suspected of being committed. More funding should be provided to provide physical and psychological help to those people, especially women, who are the victims of such violence. Finally, those people who are involved in abusive relationships should put aside their fear; admit that they have a problem, and that they need help. In this way, the instances of domestic violence are going to be greatly reduced, creating a peaceful environment for those who would have been victims. References Bachman, R. and Coker, A. L. (1995) "Police Involvement in Domestic Violence: The Interactive Effects of Victim Injury, Offender's History of Violence, and Race." Violence and victims 10.2: 91-106. Spilsbury, J. C., et al. (2008)"Profiles of Behavioral Problems in Children Who Witness Domestic Violence." Violence and victims 23.1: 3-17. Wallace, S. (2004). "Beyond Imminence: Evolving International Law and Battered Women's Right to Self-Defense." The University of Chicago Law Review 71.4: 1749-81. Read More