The Statistics of Domestic Violence - Essay Example

? Domestic Violence s 9th August Introduction Domestic violence also termed as intimate partner violence (IPV), family violence, spousal violence and domestic abuse has been described by Bostock et al. (2009), as a recurring abusive aggression by either or both of partners who are in an intimate relationship such as friendship, family ties, cohabitation, dating or in a marriage. With reference to the writings by Kaur and Garg (2008), it is noted that domestic violence exist in different forms that may include financial deprivation of another partner, covert or passive abuse like neglect, stalking, intimidation, domineering or controlling. Physical aggression can be in the form of slapping, kicking, hitting the other partner, restraining, shoving, and emotional or sexual abuse. The statistics of domestic violence can be termed as “alarming” from a global perspective. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the documentation, definition, perception, and awareness differ from one country to another. This present study will focus on domestic violence on women in marriages. In this regard, the study claims that thou domestic violence is categorized as personal crime because the victims suffer from stress, and depression, which consequently affects the national economy since the victims are usually less productive; therefore, it ought to be classified as a national crime. Historical events and legal decisions that make domestic violence a major issue in the United States According to Kaur and Garg (2008), domestic violence is a major issue in the U.S simply because 3 to 4 million women in the U.S report to have been physically abused each year by a person they are in a relationship with or married to. In the writings by Easteal (1994), he wrote that prior to the 1800s, violence against women was not condoned and a husband beating a wife was considered part of the culture since the man/ husband expected the wife to be very submissive. Therefore, any mistake from the wife would warrant punishment in the form of physical violence from the husband. This cultural tradition was encouraged by the falsified belief that wife beating was a sign of love from the husband (Easteal, 1994). One exception to this particular cultural belief/ trend in the U.S was set in 1641 when the Body of Liberties of the Massachusetts Bay colonists declared that women should not be subjected to any form of violent acts from their husbands. Additionally, Easteal (1994) stated that by 19th century, that was increased advocacy against domestic violence and various States had started to pass legislations making domestic violence a crime punishable by law. For example, in 1850, the state of Tennessee became the first state in the U.S to out rightly ban wife beating and by the end of 1870, most States had passed legislations banning the assumed right for a husband to punish his wife through beating. Thirdly, in the years 1994, 2000, and 2005 the Violence Against Women Acts underwent various amendments that enabled advocates of victims and government agencies to work together. The act also created prevention and support programs for the victims and it introduced new a form of punishment for perpetrators of domestic violence. Social psychology concepts that are related to domestic violence With reference to the writings by Franzoi (2009), it can be stated that one of the social psychology concept that is related to domestic violence is the resource concept, which states that domestic violence is likely to exist in a marriage whereby one of the spouses is economically dependent on the other spouse. Therefore, he or she is unable to leave the marriage even in case of domestic violence. The second social psychology concept that relates to domestic violence is the social learning concept, which states that individuals learn from what they observe within their immediate set-up and they even model their behaviors from others within their sorrounding. This is to say, that when one grows up in a homestead where the mother was physically abused and continued to stay, then she might also do the same in her marriage. Alternatively, if a boy grows up seeing his father beat his mother and the mother continues to stay in the marriage, then the boy is highly likely to adopt the same behavior of the father and he will also expect his wife to persevere the violence as his mother did (Franzoi, 2009). The third social psychology concept that relate to domestic violence is the social stress concept, which states that stress within a marriage may increase tension between the two partners to an extent that one may resort to violence as a way to cope with the stress. For example, a homestead that is faced with increased conflict and stress is likely to experience heightened tension between the husband and the wife, and according to Franzoi (2009), the husband may resort to violence as a way of retaining control over the homestead. Challenges that individuals and law enforcement agencies face with domestic violence The nature of domestic violence presents a challenge to individuals as well as law enforcement agencies since the violence may be in the form of emotional, verbal, psychological, or sexual abuse. However, it is of essence to note that physical abuse or threat to physical abuse is a violation of the law and thus, it is prosecutable. Bostock et al. (2009) stated that domestic violence also presents a challenge to individuals and law enforcement agencies because in natural sense, it is considered a personal family issue or a private matter and therefore, it does not warrant external interferences. According to Easteal (1994), this assumption makes police to disregard domestic violence as not police work and they regard it as social work, which should be resolved internally by another family member or a trained social worker. Another challenge that domestic violence present to individuals and law enforcement agencies is that the law prohibits a person to gain access into another person’s house with authorization or a court warrant that permits the forceful entry into someone’s house. Therefore, cases of domestic violence go unchallenged since individuals and law enforcement officers are unable to forceful enter a house where domestic violence is taking place (Bostock et al. 2009). Lastly, the emotional bond between partners also discourage individuals and law enforcement agencies from interfering in a case of domestic violence since the victim might even refuse to press charges against the offender. Areas where I agree with the authors I fully agree with the argument by Easteal (1994) that domestic violence also contribute to the social problems that we face such as crime and drug abuse. This is because a home that experiences domestic abuse is unable to offer a stable environment to nurture well-mannered children. Secondly, I agree with the statement by Kaur and Garg (2008) that domestic violence is highly prevalent in marriages where one partner wholly depends on the other for financial support. This is because cases of domestic violence are very rare in homestead where both partners are financially stable. Thirdly, I agree with Bostock et al. (2009) statement that domestic violence should be considered a national crime because of the impact it can have on the society as well as the national economy. This is because most children from abusive homes tend to engage in social evils. Secondly, because of high stress levels, the parents are unable to be fully productive at work, which subsequently hurts the national economy. Areas where I disagree with the authors From a personal perspective, I disagree with Kaur and Garg (2008) arguments that children from abusive homes or homes where there is domestic violence, tend to be also abusive in their relationships. I disagree with this argument because there is no empirical evidence to confirm that everyone who abuses their partner grew up in a home where there was domestic violence and in certain instances some abusers come from very happy homes. Secondly, I also disagree with Bostock et al. (2009) arguments that emotional bond between partners discourages the victim from reporting or taking legal action against the abusive partner. This is because in a scenario whereby violence is involved, it is outright that loves does not exist or it fades away and therefore, there is no emotional bond. How individuals should address domestic violence First individuals should always encourage the victim to report the matter to the police so that legal action can be taken against the abusive partner. Secondly, individuals should also try to talk to the abusive partner and discourage him or her from engaging in domestic violence since it is even a violation of the law. Ways through which those in the criminal justice system should address the issue of domestic violence Police officers should intervene in any scenario where there is a suspected case of domestic violence and perhaps collect first-hand evidence against the perpetrators. Secondly, the judges should give harsh punishment to those who are found guilty of engaging in domestic violence in order to discourage others from engaging in the same acts of violence. Conclusion It has been noted that homes where there is domestic violence, the children in that homestead tend to pick up bad behaviors and are more likely to engage social evils when they are adults. Secondly, in a homestead where there is frequent domestic violence, the partners always tend to have high stress levels and therefore, they cannot be productive in their economic activities. These two consequences have a detrimental effect on the national economy as it was noted in the introduction of the essay. On another front, this study has established that there are various challenges that hinder individuals as well as law enforcement agencies from fully controlling and eliminating the issue of domestic violence. However, it has been noted that it is not a-must that children who have been brought up in homes where there was domestic violence to equally engage in violent acts when they grow up. References Bostock, J. Plumpton, M. and Pratt, R. (2009). Domestic violence against women: Understanding social processes and women's experiences. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology. 19 (2): 95-110 Easteal, P. (1994). Violence Against Women in the Home: How Far Have We Come? How Far to Go? Family Matters Journal. Retrieved from: http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/fm1/fm37pe.html. Accessed on [08.08.2013] Franzoi, S. L. (2009). PSY 110: Social psychology. (5th edition). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Custom Publishing. Kaur, R. and Garg, S. (2008). Addressing Domestic Violence against Women: An Unfinished Agenda. Indian Journal of Community Medicine. 33 (2): 73-76 Read More