Feminist Perspectives On Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is similar with any other form of violence Despite the view of feminist approach, some scholars suggested domestic violence should be understood as any other form of violence instead of the preservation of men’s need for status and power.

Gender equality

In response to feminist point of view, the gender inequality factor seems not the main cause of wife beating in modern society. Actually, the advantage of male in terms of status and other resources is much more limited in scope and degree, at least in the USA (evidence of reduced gender inequality). Female victimization is much more likely in the household context, where women enjoy relatively high power and status (Felson, 2002). Another thing is the argument of men’s

Most of the domestic violence is probably completed by men if follow the assumption of feminist approach. However, some study found the male victims are similar to female victims. Felson (2010) suggests that men and women who killed or assaulted their partners tended to be similar to other violent male and female offenders. The women who attacked their partners were not particularly likely to have been abused by their partners, but the result shows men who assault their partners are particularly likely to have experienced partner abuse. Another research suggests that the relationships between personality factors and intimate partner violence are similar for men and women (Straus & Medeiros, 2002). Also some studies have found that dominance or control by women as well as men is associated with an increased rate of violence by women (Medeiros & Straus, 2006). In a word, these results have shown a phenomenon, both men and women in domestic violence figures or the frequency are very similar, even women unilateral beating men is more than unilateral men (more detail and evidence of