Domestic violence: Fighting violence with nonviolent action - Research Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages... In domestic violence, the batterer mainly uses various series of behaviors and acts of violence which include threats, intimidation, isolation to coerce, psychological abuse and attempts to control the other affected person. Domestic violence is not only in the form of sexual violence and physical but it also includes psychological violence. There are diverse meanings of psychological violence but generally it refers to repetitive and intense degradation which creates isolation and controls the behaviors and actions of the other spouse by means of manipulation or intimidation to the individual detriment. Evidently, domestic violence deeply destroys homes. Recent research has shown that a lot of people use domestic violence to maintain or gain power in order to control the other intimate partner. In order to achieve this, the person uses various acts of manipulation, humiliation, terrorism, intimidation, blame, and wound or injures the other partner (Cefrey, 2009). Consequently, it is paramount to note that domestic violence can be fought against by use of non violent action. Nonviolent action refers to the various means of bringing positive social change mainly without hurting others. The meaning of nonviolent action is simple though it is very difficult to comprehend since the society generally equates strength, power and effectiveness with competition, violence and domination. The society contends that those people who do not destroy their opponents are either insane, cowards or saints. However, acts of retaliation do not conform to effective social change which is fundamental in achieving nonviolent actions. Additionally, for a person to be effective requires that they have a carefully planned list of actions that they should consider to take in order to impact positively on each person they encounter (Johnson & Grant, 2005). In accordance to McCue (2008), violence refers to physically hurting someone, it then follows that nonviolence refers to merely refraining from any physical attacks. Nonviolence actions are unfortunately confused with indifference, self-restraint, cowardice, righteous hostility or even passivity. Violence however takes a number of forms which include passive and active, psychological and physical. It is worthwhile noting that nonviolence actions are also very varied and the aspects of attitude and motivation primarily distinguish both concepts of violence and nonviolence actions as shown in the chart below: Type of Behavior (Motivations/Attitudes) Active/Assertive/Aware (Initiating responsive) Passive/Inattentive (Unresponsive, perhaps timid) Violent (Malice, indifference, fear, hostility, revenge, spite, self-righteous) Molesting or beating a child Waging war Destroying the environment Thwarting or oppressing others Threatening economic ruin or bodily harm Sexually abusing or raping someone Belittle Fatalism Neglecting a child under one’s care Using sex, TV, sex or food to numb oneself Allowing poverty, disease, starvation, sexism, ecological destruction, racism, rape, child abuse, hatred, classism to exist Neutral (Self-preservation, ignorance) Working in order to earn a living Ignoring destruction and injustice Having unemotional sex usually for procreation Being neighborly Eating for nourishment Being solitude Avoiding dangerous situations Collecting interest and dividends Test-tube insemination Restrain from provocation Being unaware of destruction or injustice Nonviolent (Compassion, love, ...Download file to see next pagesRead More