The Family as a Perpetrator of Intimate Partner Violence - Literature review Example

The Family as a Perpetrator of Intimate Partner Violence Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Introduction Feminists have long argued that rather than being a source of support and safety, the family is often the site of violence and abuse against its most vulnerable members. The most common type of valance in the family is intimate partner violence. This refers to violence perpetrated by a husband or an intimate male partner against women. Although there are also cases of violence perpetrated by women in their bonds with men, and violence is as well reported in same-sex relationships, the majority of cases reported and the resulting health burden of partner aggression is borne by women due to men’s oppression. There are many works to support this, for instance, Johnson and Gardner (2000) note that “women, in significant numbers around the world, are murdered, assaulted, threatened, and humiliated within their own homes” (p. 128). Worse still, the same author notes that many of these acts of violence against women are not considered unusual or uncommon. In their research, Mezey, Post and Maxwell (2002) point out that there is overwhelming evidence that in addition to acts of violence, women also experience a cadre of non-physical forms of abuse and that other forms of abuse such as emotional abuse often accompany physical violence (p. 123). Further, domestic violence is ranked among the leading five risk factors for women’s wellbeing in Australia (Day et al 2009, p. 1). In recognizing the aforementioned facts, this paper aims to evaluate the contention that the family is increasingly becoming a site of violence and abuse against the most vulnerable members rather than a source of support and safety. It looks into this issue by assessing the ways in which the institution of the family can serve to perpetuate intimate partner violence. To achieve this, the paper will focus on four crucial areas namely historical factors (how the past influences the present; cultural factors (how culture impacts on people’s lives and thus contributes to the violence; structural factors (how particular forms of social organisation affect people’s lives; and critical factors (how people can improve the current environment). This begins by a discussion on intimate partner violence. Intimate partner violence Intimate partner violence, also referred to as spouse abuse or domestic violence, encompasses acts of physical hostility, mental or emotional abuse, forced sexual intercourse and other types of sexual coercion, and a variety of controlling behaviours such as alienating a person from relatives and friends or confining access to information and help by a current or former spouse or partner (Harvey, Garcia-Moreno & Butchart 2007, p. 8). This may happen within marriage, short-term intimate relationships or long-term partnerships and can be perpetrated by men against their female partners, though as noted above, such violent behaviour also occurs among same-sex couples and can be carried out by women against men. Intimate partner violence also involves dating violence among young people, even though the model of such aggression may be dissimilar to that experienced in the purview of long-term partnerships (Harvey, Garcia-Moreno & Butchart 2007). Sexual violence occurs at all level of the family, and both within and outside intimate partnerships. Cases of sexual abuse are reported by people across all ages, from youngsters to the aged. This has a significant impact on both girls and boys, although among adults women are at a considerably greater risk of victimisation than men (World Health Organisation (WHO) 2010). Both intimate partner violence sexual violence are serious and widespread problems across the globe. Apart from being human rights violations, they deeply damage the physical, reproductive, sexual, mental, emotional, and social well-being of individuals and families. The major immediate and long-terms health outcomes that arise out of such violence include physical injury, unwarranted pregnancy, gynaecological complications, abortion, sexual transmitted infection (STI) (including HIV and AIDS), post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, to name but few. Intimate partner violence is also linked to high risk-behaviours such as smoking, unsafe sex and harmful use of alcohol and drugs (WHO 2010, p. 3). It is saddening that while the family is supposed to be a source of protection or the rights of its members, it has ended up being the source the source of all manner of relational violence. As a result, intimate partner violence has severe negative impacts on the emotional and social well-being of the whole family, with adverse consequences on parenting skills and on employment and educational outcomes. For instance, some children from homes where intimate partner violence is rife may exhibit increased rates of emotional and behavioural problems that can result in increased difficulties with employment and education. This often leads to cases such as early school drop out, early pregnancy, and youth offending (Kaukinen 2002, p. 8), implying that when the children develop into adults they are likely to carry on with the domestic violence behaviours (Harvey, Garcia-Moreno & Butchart 2007, p. 9). There may be no single factor to explain why domestic violence occurs, or why some people are at risk of being victims of the violence, but a solution to this can be found by analysing the family as a unit of the society in terms of the historical, cultural, structural and critical factors that have contributed to domestic violence. Historical factors: How the past influences the present Historically, it is known that the risk groups for domestic violence include young people, people who have experienced violence as children, and people with an initial history of victimization or perpetration (Harvey, Garcia-Moreno & Butchart 2007, p. 9). This view was also addressed by WHO (2002) which noted that a history of violent behaviour in the male partner’s family (especially if the man as a child saw his own mother being harassed or beaten) and being brought up in a poor family is an important factor associated with perpetrating aggression. Newman and Newman (2010) also add more verve into this discussion by noting that children learn to be husbands and wives by growing up in the family and watching their own parents (p. 11). So if their parents are violent, they are also likely to be violent themselves. But this is not to say that all children who grow up in families where there is partner violence eventually turn to be perpetrators of partner violence. Johnson (2008) points out two studies in which it was revealed that 80 percent of the participants (men) whose parents had been severely violent had not grown up to be violent themselves. The same author adds that “the vast majority of men who experience childhood family violence do not grow up to be violent in their own families” (p. 68). This view is also supported by Newman and Newman (2010), who note that not all children who grow up in an abusive family become abusive, and most do not (p. 11). On a wider perceptive, socially sanctioned violence against women has been persistent since ancient times. In many historical traditions such as Judaism and Christianity as well as other patriarchal religions, male-dominated family structures were affirmed and the society has progressively developed based on these principles. From a feminist perspective, therefore, patriarchy is one of the major obstacles to women gaining a voice in the family and society at large. Further, there was discrimination in the laws that were adopted by many societies, such as the English common law (Buzawa & Buzawa 2003, p. 57). The laws dealing with violence against vulnerable groups were not well defined or lacked the stipulated light punishments against perpetrators, thus reinforcing the crime. For instance, in Australia most cases of domestic violence passed unreported, and it is only recently that there have has been an increase in reporting of such incidents to the concerned authorities (Carrington 2003). Cultural factors: how culture impacts on people’s lives One of the factors contributing to an increase in domestic violence in both developed and developing countries is the belief that the vice is a domestic affair tied to the family (Merry 2008, p. 27). This causes a culture of silence to surround the issue (McCue 2008, p. 89). McCue further notes that domestic violence, especially in the Middle East and South Asia, has been blamed on traditional and religious beliefs and practices that are part of the culture. While this may be true, the situation in the United States would need further analysis as there are no cultures similar to those in the Middles East or South Asia but still, domestic violence takes a high toll. According to McCue (2008) the United States is among the leading nations in terms of domestic violence. Women are severely injured and murdered in through several means including stabbing, beating, gun violence and so forth. The situation is similar in South Asia, where women are tortured through stabbing, beating and burning (McCue 2008, p. 89). A notable point therefore is that whatever form the violence takes, and wherever it occurs, the reasons instigating it are the same – maintaining and reinforcing the power and control of the man over his partner. Very often also, violence against women is treated as a normal way of resolving family issues. In South Asia, dowry murder is committed by a husband dissatisfied by the dowry paid by his bride (wedding gift). Such violence often described as being “culturally caused” as it an embodiment of a man dissatisfied by his wife’s concern for their family (McCue 2008, p. 89). It is therefore worth noting that many cultures have allowed men to control what their intimate partners do, and violence has always been condoned as one of the elements of reinforcing the control. More to this, since the family is viewed as a private affair, many people fail to intervene in what others are doing, hence, women have not been able to report violence perpetrated by their partners, and men with abusive behaviour have used this opportunity to maintain the status quo. Structural factors: How particular forms of social organisation affect people’s lives Traditionally, men have been perceived to the bread winners for the family. They were literally heads of the family and women therefore held a lower social status compared to them. This situation allowed men more control of families and intimate relationships. Gender discrimination has been a pervasive issue with respect to education and employment and this also largely seen in the family where women are expected to take lower positions rather than be equals to their husbands. This state of affairs can be traced back to the Marxist ideology in which women were perceived as elements of passing property to the heir when they gave birth and nothing more. A woman’s place in the family was comparable to that of a prostitute – she was supposed to be used for sex and bear children (heirs) in return for the security offered by her husband (Browne, 2006, p. 37). Critical factors: how we can improve the current environment There are many steps that the society can take to tame intimate partner violence. With the current knowledge on the subject, it has been suggested that principal prevention measures to tame the vice would incorporate approaches to improve gender equality; to transform social norms concerning violence, gender and manliness functions in relationships; to lessen poverty and to reinforce social and economic safety nets; to encourage vibrant and equal relationships; to curb the misuse of alcohol and drugs; to pay special attention to the young people regarding domestic violence, and to avert exposure to domestic violence during childhood (Harvey, Garcia-Moreno & Butchart 2007, p. 10). The suggested solutions are based on the functionalist perspective of the family, which recognises the fact that the family serves many important functions in society (Leon-Guerrero 2005, p. 65). This ideology recognizes the family as the child’s primary group; the first group membership that people claim. It helps define who people are and how they find their place in society. Thus, if all people understand this ideology, they will respect the family as a social institution and thus shun domestic violence. Nurses have a crucial role to play in dealing with cases domestic abuse. When a victim presents to the emergency room or clinic after an assault they often meet the nurse as the first person to offer help. Due to the complexity of the nature of intimate partner violence, nurses must be sensitive to the fear experienced when questioning and intervening. As noted earlier, some victims may not be willing to disclose information for fear of their abusers or to “protect” their relationships. Nurses also play critical roles in dealing with victims as they offer services related to counselling when dealing with emotional trauma of the victims. Because nurses have a rear opportunity to interact with victims of abuse, they are best placed to collect information and recommend referrals, and the information they gather is vital for further interventions regarding the violence (Clemen-Stone, McGuire & Eigsti 2002, p. 432). Conclusion This paper has addressed the issue of intimate partner violence as one of the vices that thrive in families. Ironically, the role of the family as a source of support for vulnerable members has been eroded, instead being supplanted by abusive relationships. It has been discussed that culture and history are some of the factors that have created an atmosphere for perpetrators. For instance, children who grow in families characterised by domestic violence are always perceived to grow and become violent themselves. Nevertheless, this is not always the case as many children from violent families have not grown to be violent. Culture has made many societies that women are supposed to be controlled by their intimate male partners, and this has perpetrated violence in families as many men strive to exert this control. The paper has also highlighted the role of nurses as the people close to victims of domestic violence. Notably, nurses should can play and important role in dealing with victims since they receive first-hand information about violence and can help victims come up with solutions to the emotional trauma they suffer. References Browne, K 2006, Introducing Sociology for AS Level (2nd edition), Polity Press, Melbourne. Buzawa, E S & Buzawa, C G 2003, Domestic Violence: The Criminal Justice Response (3rd edition), Sage, London. Carrington, K 2003 Domestic Violence in Australia: An Overview of the Issues, Parliament of Australia, Available from http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide/sp/Dom_violence.htm (17 September, 2010). 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