Domestic Violence and Psychological Abuse - Essay Example

Domestic Violence; Psychological Abuse Introduction: Problem ment Domestic violence, which is a pattern of abusive behaviors within the intimaterelationships such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation, has been one of the most widely discussed topics in the contemporary world and it is also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, child abuse or intimate partner violence (IPV). Normally, domestic violence includes various types of physical and mental cruelty ranging from a slap or shove, to a punch or kick, and to the more extreme manifestations of violence such as suffocation, strangulation, attempted murder and murder. Significantly, the behavior that is generally known as domestic violence can take on various aspects such as physical assault, sexual abuse, and psychological abuse. To say that domestic violence is a means of achieving domination and control would mean that the perpetrators will employ other methods in addition to threats or physical or sexual assault to make sure the subjugation of the victims and psychological abuse is the most essential form of this type of subjugation. According to Deborah Lockton, Richard Ward, domestic violence "can be physical assault, sexual abuse, threats of either, or psychological abuse... It is not confined to any one socio-economic group nor can it be said that it is caused by any one factor. Furthermore, its practice is extensive. It is necessary to look at some of the manifestations of violence within what should be a loving relationship to fully understand the horror to which victims are subjected and the need for adequate protection to be provided by civil and criminal justice systems." (Lockton and Ward, 1997, p. 7). Significantly, the phenomenon of domestic violence is widespread in the United States and its effects can be long-lasting and life threatening. Therefore, it is essential to break the pattern of domestic violence through courageous efforts, planning, and a support network and this research undertakes a qualitative analysis of the various forms of domestic violence and seeks to find an effective method to deal with the issues relating to domestic violence. Background and Literature Review Domestic violence has been one of the most widely researched topics in sociology and family psychology and there have been enlightening studies which deal with specific forms and means of domestic violence. This literature review summarizes five relevant research projects in relation to domestic violence, focusing on an analysis of their usefulness, flaws and strengths. The five essential research projects analyzed in this review includes 1) "Recognizing domestic partner abuse", 2) "Lethality Assessment Tools: A Critical Analysis", 3) "Bureau of Justice Family Violence Statistics", 4) "Intimate Partner Violence", and 5) "Domestic Violence and Mental Health". In the article "Recognizing domestic partner abuse", one gets a very exclusive and useful discussion on domestic partner abuse and the article deals with the various signs of this type of abuse, intimate partner violence as a health issue, and the ways of resolving the issue. Domestic violence, battering, intimate partner violence etc are terms indicating a phenomenon which is highly prevalent in the United States, and it is defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a pattern of assaultive behaviors which may be used against intimate partners within a relationship to achieve power and control in that relationship. According to the article, domestic violence includes physical and sexual abuse, along with emotional abuse and every form of domestic violence has serious health consequences. "Domestic violence affects people of all ethnic backgrounds; it occurs among the poor and the rich and among the well educated and the poorly educated. Men are usually (though not always) the abusers, and women are usually on the receiving end. In the United States, a woman's lifetime risk of being a victim of such violence is 25%. Women who were abused as children are at an increased risk for being in an abusive relationship as an adult." (Recognizing domestic partner abuse, 2006, p. 6). The article also provides convincing description of how to identify domestic partner abuse through first signs and maintains that the issue of control and power through fear and intimidation can be found at the center of domestic violence. Here, the kind of abuse normally does not involve physical harm, but psychological abuse. The article also suggests that intimate partner abuse has essential effects on the physical as well as mental health of the victim. "Walking away from an abusive relationship is a process more than a single action Isolation and fear may prevent a woman from leaving, even when she knows it is probably for the best. Community support can be crucial, although a woman in an abusive relationship often has difficulty taking advantage of that support." (Recognizing domestic partner abuse, 2006, p. 7). Neil Websdale's "Lethality Assessment Tools: A Critical Analysis" is an important review of the lethality assessment tools and the pertinent research into domestic homicide. According to Websdale, a critique of the lethality assessment tools confirms that these instruments are more useful as a means of identifying future dangerousness rather than precisely predicting lethal outcomes. It is essential to comprehend that violence against women is much more pervasive, injurious, and lethal than official statistics report and lethality assessment tools can be effective in determining the various means of abuses against women. "Research into domestic homicides typically reveals these to be crimes of cumulation in which men's violence and women's entrapment seem to intensify over time. The absolute distinction between lethal and non-lethal cases is a false dichotomy; rather there is a range or continuum of violence and entrapment that underpins abusive intimate relationships. Indeed, it would be far more appropriate and useful to employ the term "dangerousness" rather than "lethality" assessment." (Websdale, 2000, p. 1). Therefore, the study by Websdale provides an important evaluation of lethality assessments in domestic violence cases based on research review of the content of lethality assessment tools and domestic homicides. "Family Violence Statistics: Including Statistics on Strangers and Acquaintances" is another essential and extensive report of family violence statistics in which the authors provide convincing evidences to indicate the depth of the issue. The statistics incorporated in the report includes reported and unreported family violence, murder of family members, family violence reported to police, family violence recorded by police, state prosecution of family assault, federal prosecution of domestic violence, family violence offenders in prison, and family violence offenders in jail. The authors provide the most recent family violence statistics from sources such as surveys conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the BJS database of Federal statistics, and two statistical databases maintained by the FBI. "The sources provide statistical snapshots of family violence at different stages in the administration of justice. First are statistics on the nature and extent of family violence. Next are statistics on family violence that is reported to police, followed by statistics on the prosecution of persons charged with family violence. Lastly are statistics on persons sent to prison or jail for family violence." (Durose, Harlow, Langan, Motivans, Rantala, and Smith, 2005, p. 1). Analyzing the trends in family violence, the authors claim that the rate of family violence has fallen between 1993 and 2002 from an estimated 5.4 victims to 2.1 victims per 1,000 U.S. residents. Therefore, the statistics as well as the interpretations provided by the authors has a great significance in realizing the immensity of domestic violence and the growth of this issue in the US society. Another essential study with regard to domestic violence has been "Intimate Partner Violence" By Callie Marie Rennison and Sarah Welchans in which the authors provide credible estimates to prove that crimes of intimate partner violence are committed primarily against women. According to from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), about 1 million violent crimes were committed against persons by their current or former spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends in 1998 and most of them were against women. "About 85% of victimizations by intimate partners in 1998, about 876,340, were against women. Intimate partner violence made up 22% of violent crime against women between 1993 and 1998. By contrast, during this period intimate partners committed 3% of the violence against men." (Rennison and Welchans, 2000). "Domestic Violence and Mental Health" is another article which maintains that domestic violence causes considerable emotional pain and mental health issues to women. Based on a reflective analysis of the literature published on the topic, this article establishes that weather-beaten women normally decrease mental health conditions and develop symptoms of depression etc. "In general, studies on domestic violence and mental health are designed to measure particular constellations of symptoms that meet criteria for psychiatric diagnoses, rather than the psychological impact of experiencing abuse and betrayal by an intimate partner or the developmental influence of prolonged exposure to abuse by a caretaker in childhood." (Domestic Violence and Mental Health). According to presently available data, women who are victims of abuse by a partner are at increased risk for developing certain mental health problems such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Therefore, the article has a great relevance in realizing the issues of domestic violence in detail. Conclusion A reflective analysis of the various studies on domestic violence indicates that the issue of domestic violence is increasing at an alarming rate and it is essential to come up with effective measures to check the issue. It is a highly prevalent phenomenon in the United States and its effects can be long-lasting and life threatening. It is only through courageous efforts, planning, and a support network that the pattern of domestic violence can be effectively broken and researches in the area concentrate on establishing the vastness of the issue rather than finding effective methods to deal with the serious problem affecting the society. References "Domestic Violence and Mental Health." Retrieved 13 November 2009, from http://www.dvmhpi.org/Research%20Highlights.pdf Durose, Matthew R., Harlow, Caroline Wolf., Langan, Patrick A., Motivans, Mark., Rantala, Ramona R., and Smith, Erica L. (2005). "Family Violence Statistics: Including Statistics on Strangers and Acquaintances." Bureau of Justice Statistics. U.S. Department of Justice. p. 1. Lockton, Deborah and Ward, Richard. (1997). Domestic violence. London: Routledge. p. 7. "Recognizing domestic partner abuse." (2006). Harvard Women's Health Watch. p. 6. Retrieved 13 November 2009, from http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update1006d.shtml Rennison, Callie Marie and Welchans, Sarah. (2000). "Intimate Partner Violence." Bureau of Justice Statistics. Special Report: U.S. Department of Justice. Websdale, Neil. (2000). "Lethality Assessment Tools: A Critical Analysis." Applied Research Forum. National Online Resource Center on Violence against Women. p. 1. Read More