Homicide Assault and Family Violence - Essay Example

Homicide Assault and Family Violence Introduction: Incidents of homicide, assaults and family violence are matters of significant concerns as such acts result in physical injuries and mental trauma for the victims, as well as causes severe impacts on the society, economy along with the family where the incidents occur. Children who experience such acts or are witnesses to such acts within their families are also severely impacted upon. The more concerning issues that are proved are (Domestic Violence Facts, n.d.): Domestic violence is experienced by almost one in every four women in their lifetimes Around 1.3 million women are estimated to be victims of physical injuries and assaults generally by their partners Of all victims of domestic violence incidents, around 85 percent have been obtained to be women It has been since times of history that women are the most harshly treated family members Unfortunately women of age 20-24 years are the most vulnerable to domestic violence and assaults And, in most of these cases there are no reports done to the police. Thus one of the facts, which is clear is that women are the most common victims of homicide, assault and family violence, and they are in most cases assaulted by their partners. In this report, I shall discuss taking the side that women are the most common victims of homicide assault and family violence and that men treat them such as they have a nature of controlling their female partners within the family, and hence have impacts on the family as well as children, along with the community where they live in. 2. Facts and Figures: 2.1. Homicide and Injury: Of all the reports that are produced to the police, it has been obtained that in one third of the reports the women have been murdered by their close partners. In around 80 percent of such cases, the dead women have been studied to have been brutally assaulted by their partners before killing as well. There are cases where women being assaulted by their partners have needed medical treatments post such treatments within their families. Such women are also mentally affected severely and several cases have been found where the assaulted women have had to make visits for mental healthcare and treatment (Domestic Violence Facts, n.d.). Table 1: Violence by inmate partners, by type of crime and gender of the victims, 2008 (Catalano et al, 2009, p.1). The above table clearly reflects on the fact that women are the most assaulted members than men in a family and the rates are significantly causing major concern for the society as well. And, men are the ones who attack and assault the women and it is more of concern as the male partners of women are the most reported ones for family violence and assaults on women. 2.2. Sexual Assault and Stalking: In case of women, reports say that almost every one in 6 women have experienced attempted or completed rape incidents. There are around 7.8 million cases where the women have been raped by the inmate partners (Domestic Violence Facts, n.d.). This clearly means that women are not at all safe with their partners in their families as well. While at outside of homes, women are attacked by strangers, in their homes as well post-marriage rape is also common. This fact can also be realized and associated with the nature of the men trying to have control on the women they live with, which will be discussed later in the report. Violence in any form against women is absolutely wrong even if the offender is a close partner of the victim. Men indulge in sexual assaults on their female partners through abuses, which can be verbal or visual and forces on them to join in unwanted sexual relation, which is not supported by the law as well (Sexual Abuse and Assault Against Women 2014). These facts clearly reflect on the status of women in our society where they are treated as mere objects by the men and are forced into sexual relationships without even trying to learn about her wishes or preferences. This again brings into light the dominating attitude of the men leading to women homicide, assaults, and family violence. 2.3. Children as Witnesses: When children become witnesses to family violence and observe their fathers or male family members to treat their mothers and female family members in a wrong way, the chances are that they would learn the same. They too tend to become violent and it is highly likely that they would have the similar dominating attitude when they grow up. It has been obtained that boys are the most influenced children who witness such violent acts within their families. Also, it has been found that the offenders also treat their children equally badly like they behave with their female counterparts, which also turns the children to be highly aggressive in nature (Domestic Violence Facts, n.d.). 3. Family Violence on Women: The List of Violence Experienced by Women: Domestic or family violence is common in most families and as already mentioned, the most common victims are the women. While there could be cases where men are also victims, but as the facts and figures present, the cases for women are much higher in percentage than men getting attacked or affected. It has been found that the main cause behind such violence is the need for power and control on the victims. Domestic violence can be physical which results in physical assaults and injuries, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological, which can lead to homicides as well depending on cases and situations (Domestic Violence, 2013). 3.1. Physical Abuse/Assault: Physical abuses involve acts such as hitting, slapping, shoving, grabbing, pinching, biting that can physically injure the women. In many cases the dominant male denies their female partners to provide with medical care or use or force drugs in their bodies as well (Domestic Violence, 2013). 3.2. Sexual Abuse: This involves men forcing their female partners to involve in sexual intercourse even when she might not be willing to. However such acts do not only limit to sex, but would include any acts that treat the women in sexually demeaning manner (Domestic Violence, 2013). 3.3. Emotional Abuse: This occurs when men undermines the self worth of their female counterparts or abuses their self esteem. This can include continuously criticizing them, or undermining their abilities and power, or even damaging their relationship with others and children in the family (Domestic Violence 2013). 3.4. Economic Abuse: Economic abuses occur when the men make the women dependent on them for their financial needs. This happens in most cases where the men keep control of the entire finances within the family and leaves no money with their female partners, which they could otherwise spend as per their needs and preferences. Hence for each and every need of them, they have to ask from the male partners for finances (Domestic Violence, 2013). 3.5. Psychological Abuse: Violence related to psychological abuses occurs when the women are intimidated or the males cause fear in them through acts such as blackmailing, threatening, destruction of the property, and so on (Domestic Violence, 2013). While such violence can occur and attack anyone who might be the victim, however here in this study, we discuss about the violence on women as I have chosen my position on the cases of women and their experiences of homicide, assaults and family violence. The list of abuses has been given above. In most cases women would silently tolerate these acts. Whereas, in other cases, if the women protests, these might lead to assaults and cases of homicides. It can be said that the fact that most cases of family violence that occur on women are not reported to the police, is due to the fact that they might either be blackmailed or threatened which stops the women from reporting. This is also alarming for the situation as if cases are not reported, there would only by increases in such violent acts. 4. Issues with the Men: Power and Control: Researchers have been significantly interested and hence conducted several studies on men’s behavior and attitude that causes them to assault, kill or be violent with their female partners in their families. Studies have found the following factors relevant with the attitudes and behaviors of the men (Domestic violence – why men abuse women, 2014): They tend to make use of violence and abuses intending to control their female partners or their families Men have a belief that they have the right to do anything and behave in any way they feel like Men think that they need to have control over their households and hence they should be tough and powerful in their behavior as well They believe that having sex is their sole right on their female partners and hence do not consider the preferences or wishes of their partners Men do not consider themselves responsible for any violent acts that they perform and would rather believe that their acts have been provoked In many cases they try to blame their intake of alcohol or being stressed for their violent acts in the family Moreover these men have been found to lose control when they are within their families and mostly with their female partners but can very well control their anger when they are with people outside the family Men who are abusive and violent are in most found to have been grown up witnessing such violent acts in their families as well. From these acts and intentions, it can be clearly understood that men have a dominating psychology which can be said to be supported by our society as well, which has a significant privilege for the men, and less for the women. There may be several foundations and social organizations who come to help the affected women, however in general our societies are still in the belief that men should have the most power and control over their families and hence on their female partners as well. Figure 1: Power and Control of Men in Families (Domestic Violence Facts, n.d.). The power and control of men in their families tend to affect the women as well as children who witness such acts in their families. Children learn the same behavior that they see their fathers addressing their mothers with. They become aggressive and violent in nature, unlike normal children also affecting the normal relationship between the mother and the children, where children start distancing them from their mothers. Children start losing their confidence, and in many cases they can even suffer from depressions that affect their normal growth, studies, and development for a normal life. Hence they tend to turn like their violent fathers as they grow up (How Abusive Men Affect Family Dynamics, 2009). 5. Conclusion: As my position on the research was on the fact that women are the most common victims of homicide assault and family violence and that men treat them such as they have a nature of controlling their female partners within the family, and hence have impacts on the family as well as children, along with the community where they live in, the facts and discussions in the report have clearly proven this. Women are the most common victims of assault, homicide and family violence, wherein the offenders in most cases are their own inmate partners. The different forms of violence and abuses could be studied and the fact that men are brutal and feel that they should have the power and control on their families could be observed clearly. Research has also determined such facts and hence it is a major cause of concern for our society to address the issues of assault homicide and violence against women, which in many cases remain unreported as well. The impacts of such family violence are felt on both the women as well as the children, which is also a major concern for the society. References Catalano, S. et al (2009). Female Victims of Violence. BJS. [Online]. Retrieved on 15 May 2014 from: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/fvv.pdf Domestic Violence (2013). USDOJ. [Online]. Retrieved on 17 May 2014 from: http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/domviolence.htm Domestic Violence Facts (n.d.). NCADV. [Online]. Retrieved on 15 May 2014 from: http://www.ncadv.org/files/DomesticViolenceFactSheet(National).pdf Domestic violence – why men abuse women (2014). Betterhealth. [Online]. Retrieved on 19 May 2014 from: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Domestic_violence_why_men_abuse_women?open How Abusive Men Affect Family Dynamics (2009). LFCC. [Online]. Retrieved on 20 May 2014 from: http://www.lfcc.on.ca/HCT_SWASM_14.html Sexual Abuse and Assault Against Women (n.d.). Webmd. [Online]. Retrieved on 16 May 2014 from: http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/guide/sexual-abuse-and-assault Read More