Twenty Five Years of Declining Domestic Violence Today in America, there seems to be an overwhelming amount of violent crime that takes place. Watching the nightly news, one could take a tally of the numerous attacks and deaths that are reported. Violence is not a new phenomenon, however. From Cain murdering Abel, to massacres at villages being raided, to the atrocities of the Holocaust, and the attacks of September 11, 2001, violence is ever present. The focus of this paper is a subset of violence, domestic violence. The societal question being posed in this paper is: Has domestic violence increased over the past twenty five years or is it just being reported better? While it may seem like a simple question, the answer is quite perplexing. Though there has been a statistical reduction in domestic violence, domestic violence continues to be an epidemic (Montaldo, Vagianos). Domestic violence is rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, or simple assault committed by an offender who is the victim’s current or former spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, parent, child, sibling, or other relative (Truman 14). In 1990, there were 1,500 shelters for battered women; 2300 less than shelters for animals (“Fast”). That same year, battering was not included as a prenatal risk factor meritorious of surveillance and prevention (Stoto 138). Between 40% and 60% of emergency calls to police were, and still are, domestic violence disputes in 1990 (“Fast”). Three to four million women were beaten in their homes each year by their spouses, ex-spouse, or male lovers in the United States, according to the statistical analysis in 1990 (“Fast”). In 1991, one woman was beaten by her spouse every fifteen seconds in the United States (“Fast”). By 1... ... middle of paper ... ...ure of abusers, it is still dangerous for the victim to leave the relationship safely (Montaldo, Vagianos). While there have been supportive programs that have been implemented since 1990, many of the programs, while helpful and played a role in domestic violence decline, may have a negative impact on the escaping abused individual. There may be fewer claims of domestic violence, but that does not mean that this country can stop its vigilance against domestic violence because it will continue. In American, 74% of people now someone or is a victim of domestic violence (“Fast”). This is an epidemic that will take the entire nation to recognize and be proactive with its approach with dealing with the situation. Whether it is a woman, man, child, or elderly person, we as humans should feel protected or have recourse for protection even if it is from those closest to us.
Domestic violence affects the victim physically often times causing injuries that could lead to hospitalization or death, psychologically involving gaining control over the victim as well, and socially by isolating them from family and friends. When we think of the effects of domestic violence it becomes clear that it not only affects the victim and the family but as in recent years, the violence can spill beyond the walls of the home into the neighborhood and the workplace resulting in what has become more and more common, domestic violence related workplace shootings. Domestic v...
The most notable discovery or key concept behind intimate partner violence with women as victims, would be that the overall rates have seen a general decrease. As found in the National Trends in Intimate Partner Homicide report, "Spousal homicide rates for both women and men have declined between 1974 and 2000" (Bunge, 2002). Many of the authors discussed present different perspecti...
Domestic violence involves the systematic use of force, threats and intimidation by one partner upon another in order for the dominating partner to have control over the victim. In general, women who are abused physically are often isolated. Their partners tend to control their lives to a great extent as well as verbally degrade them. Even though the Latina women are particularly vulnerable to domestic violence because of their culture, it does not mean that this situation does not exist in other societies. Domestic violence happens in all races, religions and social statuses. It could appear in any family and in order to prevent it, everyone in the society must have knowledge of the problem, and try to contribute to stop it. There are many reasons why Latina women that have been abused by their husbands do not ask for help or call the police. The most common ones are the cultural background, the language barrier, and the fear they have of being alone. In the Latin culture there is the belief that when a woman gets married, she should obey he...
Every year about 4000 women die in the U.S. because of the domestic violence. Every year this number gets higher and higher. Even though we live in the 21st century people can’t find the way to improve the situation. But before searching for the solution, people should understand what domestic violence is. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, domestic violence is: “any abuse—including physical, emotional, sexual, or financial—between intimate partners, often living in the same household” (Encyclopedia Britannica). Most of the people believe that domestic
... policies have to be able to effectively deal with the crime. The results of this study can be used to formulate policy in the state and in other states. The study plays an important role in understanding the nature of domestic violence, and how enforcement of stricter laws against it will affect its prevalence in the community.
Domestic violence is a serious problem, which occurs in many countries. In recent years, domestic violence or family violence has been recognized as a serious problem globally. Domestic violence is control by one partner over another in a dating, marital or live-in relationship. The means of control include physical, sexual, emotional and economic abuse, threats and isolation. Survivors face many obstacles in trying to end the abuse in their lives such as psychological and economic entrapment, physical isolation and lack of social support, religious and cultural values, fear of social judgment, threats and intimidation over custody or separation, immigration status or disabilities and lack of viable alternatives. Increased public, legal and
Each year approximately 4.8 million acts of physical or sexual aggression are perpetrated against women while 2.9 million physically aggressive acts are perpetrated against men within the United States (Edleson, Ellerton, Seagren, Kirchberg, Schmidt & Ambrose, 2007). Many of these incidents take place in the presences of children, which make these figures even more disturbing (Evans, Davies & DiLillo, 2008). Research indicates that 40.2% of United States battered women responding in national surveys state that their children have witnessed one or more abusive events (Edleson et al., 2007). Overall 66% of research samples regarding childhood exposure to domestic violence reported to having direct exposure to the abuse (Barnett, Miller-Perrin & Perrin, 2011).
Statistical evidence can be used to stress the seriousness of domestic violence and the importance of having women’s shelters dispersed throughout the nation. According to recent surveys, one in every three women will experience domestic violence at some time during her lifetime. Domestic violence is also the leading cause of injury to women, with the abuser usually being a member of her own family. Finally, up to ten million American children witness some type of domestic violence every year (Fantuzzo and Fusco, “Children’s Direct Exposure to Types of Domestic Violence Crime: A Population-based Investigation”). These statistics show that domestic violence is a reality and that the efforts of women’s shelters are not in vain.
Women will continue to suffer from domestic violence unless there is some sort of intervention to help them. When dealing with this population, it is essential to create a safe environment where the woman can talk freely about the abuse without any retaliation from the abuser. When someone comes into a therapeutic session, everyone deserves to be treated with respect and care. This in turn will create a sense of hope that a different type of life can be possible. Also, knowing that there is a support system can help the woman begin the process of change. Despite this, the process of leaving the abusive partner is slow (Warshaw, n.d.)
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is historically referred to as domestic violence. It describes a pattern of coercive and assaultive behavior that may include psychological abuse, progressive isolation, sexual assault, physical injury, stalking, intimidation, deprivation, and reproductive coercion among partners (The Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF), 1999). IPV leads to lifelong consequences such as lasting physical impairment, emotional trauma, chronic health problems, and even death. It is an issue effecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, nationality or educational background. Eighty-five percent of domestic violence victims are women (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2003). More than one in three women in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2012). Thirty to sixty percent of perpetrators tend to also abuse children in the household (Edelson, 1999). Witnessing violence between parents or caretakers is considered the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next (Break the Cycle, 2006).
“One woman is beaten by her husband or partner every 15 seconds in the United States” (Stewart & Croudep, 1998-2012). Domestic violence can interfere with the husband-wife relationship because one spouse is always in constant fear of the other. This violence could vary from physical abuse to ps...
Historically, domestic violence was viewed as only involving physical abuse. However, the more contemporary view of domestic violence has come to include not only physical types of abuse; but as well as emotional, sexual, physiological, and economic violence that may be committed
Domestic violence is a devastating social problem that impacts every sector of our population. Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner(USDOJ,2012). Domestic violence can be physical, economic, emotional, sexual, or psychological. Physical domestic violence is an attempt to impose physical injury such as grabbing, slapping, hitting, biting, etc. Physical violence can also be withholding necessary resources to sustain health such as medication, food, sleep, or forcing alcohol or other drug use. Economic abuse is an attempt to make the victim financially dependent. Such as sustaining control over financial resources including the victims earned income, forbidding employment, on the job harassment, or withholding information about family expenses. Emotional abuse can be the attempt to undermine the victims self worth. This could be belittling the victim, name calling, insults, criticism, manipulating, etc. Sexual abuse is any sexual contact without consent. For example, marital rape, attacks on sexual parts of the body, forced sex, forced prostitution. Sexual abuse can also be an attempt to undermine the victims sexuality by treating them in a derogatory manner, criticizing sexual performance, or withholding sex. Psychological abuse is the attempt to implant fear. This could involve intimidation, threats of physical harm, harassment, mind games, and stalking. Psychological abuse can also be an attempt to isolate victim from friends and family member. Abusers can go so far as withholding access to a telephone, transportation, constant check ups, forced imprisonment, and undermining personal relationships. Dome...
Domestic violence is skyrocketing in our society. In the U.S., as many as 1.5 million women and 850,000 men were physically assaulted by their intimate partner last year, and numerous children abused by their parents. These sad criminal acts will continue to grow in our society, unless our community takes action to stop these crimes.
According to Farmer and Tiefethaler, “violence against women by intimate partners fell by 21 percent between 1993 and 1998 from 1.1 million violent incidents to 876,340 incidents” (2). This is, in large part, due to the women’s movement, where domestic violence victimization was a major concern for women. “Economic theory predicts that the incidence of abuse declines as women gain economic independence and therefore gain power in their relationships” (4). Also a large effect of the women’s movement, as women’s alternatives and freedoms within their relationships improve, women are more able to exit, or threaten to exit their relationships and experience less violence. In order to avoid losing their partner, men must lessen their use of violence. With this we should expect a couple of situations in which a women’s situation would help their victimization. For one, we should expect that women who have greater earnings or earning potential are more likely to leave abusive relationships (5). These women are more likely to leave because they are able to support themselves on their own. We should also expect the gender equality of their community to provide them with better opportunity and alternatives to leaving an abusive relationship. According to Farmer and Tiefenthaler, “For example, a woman’s threat to leave her abuser is much more credible if she lives in an area where a large percentage of women are employed and women’s wages are high”