Normalization of Male Violence against Women - Research Paper Example

Normalization of Male Violence against Women YourFirst YourLast Introduction The United Nations has clearly put it in its worldwide Declaration of Human Rights that all persons without distinguishing their race, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, sex or social status are at liberty to exercise their basic rights and freedoms including the right not to be subjected to any form of violence (Durfee, 2011), or demeaning treatment. In this regard, any violence against the female gender is considered a grave violation of their basic rights. Violence perpetrated against women takes place all over the world yet even as it ranks among the most extensive form of human rights violation worldwide, it is mostly obscured and under-reported. Many women of different cultural backgrounds, religions, or even sexual distinctions have been victims of this heinous act. Gender-based violence is not selective, is perpetrated against women regardless of their age, or social status hence representing a significant threat to the health of the woman involved, and sometimes even her life. This paper delves into the societal “norms” that create social conditions for male violence against women in intimate relationships. The Basis and Methods of Violence Women are faced with various forms of violence in particular because they find themselves in a social setting that views them as inferior hence discriminating against them. The presence of violence against women in intimate or domestic relationships clearly defines the power inequality that exists between women and men in any society (Garcia-Moreno et al., 2006). This is, therefore, a sign that violence against women is a manifestation of the need by men to maintain power over them and ultimately discriminate against them. An analysis of violence against women can be done in various ways. The structural point of view is not specific with regard to the traits of the abusive man or the woman being violated. It is the structure of the gender power that forms the basis for the violence against women, which pervades the social order everywhere including domestic relationships. The independently oriented analysis tends to take an individual approach with focus being made on the basis of the victims childhood, economic as well as social status among other considerations that affect their lives and that of their aggressors. Another view of violence against women can be seen in the system theory that delves into the imbalances present in the particular family. Lastly, violence against women is viewed as a biological model with various factors in society and the interaction between both the aggressor and the victim being the determinant of whether the woman in the domestic relationship has been violated. Such factors may include religion and the womans physical status such as a disability of any kind or an inherent addiction. Violence in Domestic Relationships Domestic violence against women differs with other violent crimes in various ways. The aggressor is usually a person who has a sexual or emotional relationship with the woman and with whom she might even have children. This kind of violence generally takes place in the confines of their home hence their unwillingness to report such matters to the authorities. According to Kaschak (2001), the most notable reasons for not taking such steps as to report the matter to the police include taking the issues lightly on the part of the woman or the fear of encountering more violence from their partners. Many women find it pointless to step forward and report such matters for fear of being reprimanded as being the cause of such violence with some even blaming themselves for being violated. The presence of children in such a home may also deter the woman from reporting to the authorities especially if the aggressor threatens her that he will take the children if she decides to leave him. Such an abusive relationship filled with violence against the woman degenerates to a "normal" way of living for both the woman and her partner. Initially, the man will seek forgiveness after a violent act against the woman but this trend slowly changes gear, and the man begins to justify his violent acts by blaming the woman for being overbearing among other flimsy reasons. This automatically places the woman in a subordinate situation as the man constantly affirms his power and masculinity in the relationship by way of violence. Eventually, the man has full control over the womans life including what she is supposed to think. Sapkota (2012) contends that at such points, the violence against the woman becomes a part of her daily life and the normalization process is instilled in her where she has no say in the relationship and sees any form of violence against her as normal. In this regard, such a woman will completely adjust her life to adhere to what the man deems fit for the relationship for fear of experiencing the usual violence perpetrated against her. The methodologies adopted by the women are ones of slowly adjusting to be accustomed to views defined by the man of the roles and the functions of man and woman in the relationship. The space for movement for the woman becomes small and slowly by slowly, the woman becomes secluded from associating with her friends and close acquaintances, and to a very large extent close family members. In the end, her male companion becomes her only individual in her life. This position additionally becomes problematic with the fact that the man perpetrating all this dominates most aspects of the womans life, alternating between being cold, punishing and hostile to being warm, welcoming and caring. The man gets to determine when and how the social environment changes and the women gradually become emotionally shattered. From the onset, some women try to adjust themselves to the difficult conditions to try to minimize the domestic violence, however increasingly the change develops into a requirement for survival. In the end, the violence becomes accepted as a norm. Research on the process of breaking up conducted specifically on the abused women shows that the adjustment process is the main resolve for some women, while resistance is a significant factor in other strategies employed by women. Other women mix up both strategies in equivalent proportions. Nonetheless, the resistance strategy does not automatically result in the woman abandoning the association. Through resistance, the women may feel like they are on top of things – having control over actions – thinking that the men will comprehend and improve their behavior. Such resistance actions may be significantly important in keeping the association of the two individuals alive. The Process of Violence The processes of violence have addition been defined as a sequence of consecutive stages. In the first stages, the individuals conducting the act begins by initially degrading the woman, continuously referring to them as ugly and irrelevant. These women are sometimes mocked and derided as women, casting doubts about executing their mandate as women, professionals or even mothers within the family. The stages that precede these ill treatments are sometimes typified by physical and verbal aggression (Renzetti & Edleson, 2008). Subsequent stages feature the man demanding respect from the women, thereby becoming impulsive and moody. Men in this stage become prone to overreacting with the slightest provocation, sometimes threatening the relatives or even pets and children. Women always attempt to adapt to this situation and, therefore, try to modify their conduct for their relationship to go back to normalcy. Lastly, the final stage comes to be, and the domestic violence turns out to be a fact. Bodily violence is many times joined with completely unmannerly verbal attacks. In this stage, objects and weapons of sorts are frequently used. The changeover from a peaceful, serene atmosphere to a violent, tumultuous setting that eventually develops into violence amplifies the mans influence over the woman. For the woman, her daily living is filled with unpredictability and her survival is characterized by never-ending anxiety and fear about violence and the anticipation of it happening once more in the near future. Within such social confines, the woman strives to hide the violence under the "family affairs" banner, keeping it hidden from the rest of the world for elongated periods in an attempt to ensure continuity, especially if there are children involved. Such women usually do not get time to attend to their own needs, and they will usually appear neglected in some ways. In trying to avoid future violence, they control their emotions to suit the man and even try to control their body language while at the same time concealing the facial expressions (Virkki, 2015). Huge amounts of action, organization and strength are needed, just to manage with daily life. Similar to individuals who have undergone through horrendous torture experiences, many women that have been subjected to such violence in relationships that were once considered intimate are reportedly said to experience protracted trauma and are therefore susceptible to suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) (Perez, Johnson & Wright, 2012). The United Nations organization should come up with policies that seek to protect individuals from such human rights violations, regardless of whether they are physical or psychological. Conclusion Every nation is mandated by International law to combat and eradicate violence against women whether it is in the public domain or in the privacy of homes. It is also clear that any person who commits such a crime, regardless of their social status should face the full force of the law. Nations should facilitate women with the power to affirm their human rights, make thorough investigations into allegations of such acts, and punish the aggressors, according to the law. Amnesty International insists that violence against women is a form of torture and should be treated as such. Whether the perpetrator is an individual who shares an intimate relationship with the victim, the violence against her should not be seen as a private affair and should be treated with all the contempt it deserves. On their part, women who are victims of abusive partners should not succumb to the mental torture of having to live with the notion that the violence being perpetrated against them is a "normal" kind of life. Neither should they be brainwashed with threats of further violence or the taking away of their children if they decided to take measures against their aggressors. They should instead report abusive partners and seek help from the state or law enforcers in their regions. References Durfee, A. (2011). Book Review: A Typology of Domestic Violence: Intimate Terrorism, Violent Resistance, and Situational Couple Violence. Gender & Society, 25(4), 522-524. doi:10.1177/0891243211405653 Garcia-Moreno, C., Jansen, H. A., Ellsberg, M., Heise, L., & Watts, C. H. (2006). Prevalence of intimate partner violence: findings from the WHO multi-country study on womens health and domestic violence. The Lancet, 368(9543), 1260-1269. Kaschak, E. (2001). Intimate betrayal. Binghamton, N.Y.: Haworth Press. Renzetti, C., & Edleson, J. (2008). Encyclopedia of interpersonal violence. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications. Perez, S., Johnson, D., & Wright, C. (2012). The Attenuating Effect of Empowerment on IPV-Related PTSD Symptoms in Battered Women Living in Domestic Violence Shelters. Violence Against Women, 18(1), 102-117. doi:10.1177/1077801212437348 Sapkota, S. (2012). Violence against Women- Focus on Domestic Violence. Health Prospect, 10(0). doi:10.3126/hprospect.v10i0.5653 Virkki, T. (2015). Social and Health Care Professionals Views on Responsible Agency in the Process of Ending Intimate Partner Violence. Violence Against Women, 21(6), 712-733. doi:10.1177/1077801215577213 Read More