Family violence is a crime that unfortunately plagues many families, partners, and households nationwide. Family violence can range from arguing, to physical altercations, and at times, death. While the name implies only family members can perpetrate this type of violence, boyfriends/girlfriends can carry it out, as well as a household roommate. In order to understand family violence to a greater degree, criminal justice agencies and officers alike, must understand the role both parties play. In addition, criminal justice personnel must understand the different types of violence involved, as well as the victimization it can cause, not only at the hands of the offender, but also by the criminal justice system itself.
If there is violence in a family, then the ones who are affected by it may feel like they deserve it because of what the batterer is accusing them of doing. Battering occurs among people of all races, ages, socio-economic classes, religious affiliations, occupations, and educational backgrounds (Stewart & Croudep, 1998-2012). Domestic violence can affect families in more aspects than one; the husband-wife relationship, the children, and also the financial stability. “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.
Now, it is a requirement by law to make an arrest if they respond to any case of domestic violence. It is important to study whether enactment of this new law has led to a change in behavior of people in intimate relationships regarding domestic violence. Hypothesis The hypothesis for this research will be 'Have the new stricter policies on domestic violence among intimate partners led to a decrease in repeat offenders? ' This research is very important in determining the measures to take to be a deterrent to this crime. There are many approaches to dealing with crime.
After reviewing the most recent literature on violence against women and victimization through intimate partners, it has become prevalent that there are now two crucial stances that are taken. The first position is that of the women being victimized as the main issue, including prevention, causes and incidences. The second position is that of women becoming more 'aggressive' and the issue of violence against both men and women. "Wife battering- the original problem constituted by the 1970s feminists- has morphed into 'domestic violence' and then into 'husband abuse'" (Minaker, 2006). This literature review will examine the background information on intimate partner violence including different arguments and perspectives, theories, and methodologies as well as discuss the major findings and future directions of research.
Media Violence Media violence is one of the most debated public issues society faces today. Television screens are loaded with the glamorization of weapon carrying. Violence constitute as amusing and trivialized. Needless portrayals of interpersonal violence spread across the television screens like wild fire. Televisions spew the disturbing events such as children being assaulted, husbands inflicting domestic abuse on their wives and children succumbing to abuse by their parents.
This paper will discuss further on all three topics. Types of Domestic Violence The four types of domestic violence are physical abuse, sexual abuse, economic abuse, and emotional abuse. Physical abuse is when someone is physically harmed by their abuser. Some examples of physical abuse can be hitting, kicking, choking, pushing, shoving, or even assault with weapons. Sexual violence is acts of abuse in which sex is a method used to humiliate, hurt, degrade, and dominate women and sometimes men.
Domestic violence is defined as bodily harm, usually accompanied by verbal threats and harassment, emotional abuse or the destruction of property as means of coercion, control, revenge, or punishment on a person with whom the abuser is in intimate relationship. Besides that, according to an article by Women’s Aid, the government defines violence as any incident of threatening behavior, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. Domestic violence can happen and may happen to any individual despite their gender, social class or status, life style, age, family background, race, ethnicity or place of living. Any individual can be a victim of domestic violence. Based on an article titled Physical Violence against Women the World Health Organization reported that 40 to 70 percent of women were murdered in the United States, Canada, Australia and Israel by their husbands or male partners.
In particular, substance abuse is a contributing factor to family violence (The Dangers, 2016). Family violence can be defined as any abusive act towards children, significant others in a cohabiting relation, and towards the elderly. This is a complex phenomenon that includes, acts of “sexual, physical, emotional, and psychological abuse, or involve neglect or a denial of rights to the other person” (Wallace, 2011, p.35). Family violence has recently become known to the public, even
Being exposed to this kind of violence has the potential to leave its victims with a sense of helplessness, isolated, shameful, guilt, fearful, vulnerability, and even suicidal. Society should be more involved and informed to the disturbing fact that domestic violence is on the rise in the U.S. and help stop this epidemic. Victims should seek therapy and get educated on how to manage battered woman syndrome and the physical abuse, which will help them from being drawn back into violent situations. Growing up in a very violent and dysfunctional household I used to ask myself, how can someone be so violent and abusive to someone they say they love and respect. We cannot learn violence without someone teaching violence, but one cannot teach violence without first learning violence.
Proponents of this policy realize that drug abuse continues to plague our society and strict programs need to be put in place to limit and eventually eliminate the use of drugs, however, it is also believed that in the mean time it would be beneficial to first reduce the risks and potential damages caused by drug use. Some of the dangers that harm reduction attempts to eliminate are drug trade related violence, deaths where drugs are an influencing or attributing factor, infectious diseases and the negative affects that drugs have on families. Supporters of harm reduction feel that the current policies aimed at the enforcement, prosecution and interdiction have not proven to be successful and that there need to be alternate methods in dealing with drug related issues in our society. Opponents ... ... middle of paper ... ...estly, and responsibly. It includes learning to express and resolve feelings in appropriate and effective ways.