Domestic Violence Domestic Violence is a violent confrontation between family or household members involving physical harm, sexual assault, or fear of physical harm. Family or household members involved in domestic violence are spouses and former spouses, those a dating relationship or previous one, adults related by blood or marriage, and those who have a biological or legal parent-child relationship.The person assaulting uses acts of violence and strange behaviors, such as intimidation, threats, psychological abuse, and isolation to control the other person.
One in three women have been a victims of physical violence by their partner at some point in their life. One in four men have been a victim of physical violence in their life. 1 Domestic
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Fifty percent of lesbian women experience domestic violence. Twenty-one people in the LGBT community were murdered in 2013. It is two point six times more likely for to become a victim of domestic violence than that of someone in the LGBT community. Domestic violence in straight and gay relationships are very similar to each other. Victims in same sex relationships don’t receive the same help as straight relationships. That is due to poor legal regulations for the LGBT community, law enforcement overlooking the fact that it’s still domestic violence even though they are same sex and not many resources and organizations to get help for …show more content…
10 Gay and lesbian victims are more likely to fight back than other couples. Law enforcement overlooks that and assumes it's a mutual fight instead of seeing it as domestic violence and power and control in the relationship. 10 The abusers can threaten to take away the children from the victim. The laws in some states prevent couples of the same sex adopting a child. 10 This gives the victim no legal rights to the children if they should separate. The abuser uses the children as an advantage and to control the other from being able to leave. 10 Even if the victim is the legally parent or guardian the abuser could threaten to “out the victim” to social workers that don’t approve of lesbian and gay couples, which could cause loss of custody. In the worst cases the children can even end up in the custody of the
“Domestic violence, or intimate partner violence, is defined as a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks as well as economic coercion that adults or adolescents use against their intimate partners” (Peeks-Asa). When it comes to domestic violence, many people don’t want to get involved, but if just one person took a stand, maybe others would follow and potentially save a life, like the neighbors did in The Day It Happened by Rosario Morales. Domestic violence can happen to anyone at any time, there is no typical victim or perpetrator. The fact that there is no one specific group that domestic violence occurs in more than one, only makes it more difficult to get an accurate representation of just who is being affected by this crime. “Domestic violence and abuse does not discriminate” (Smith and Segal).
In the article Shwadyer explores the term homophobia and homosexual in society and its definition. She also examines the aspects of domestic violence and its toll on the relationship, survivor empowerment, violence statistics, and the changing views in politics/laws. But, Shwadyer does point out that data on same sex partner abuse is significantly low to that of heterosexual couples. With recent debates on same sex marriages psychologists and researchers have provided more data on same sex domestic violence. Even though they researchers and advocates provide some resources on the LGBT community, the majority of the information is too narrow to relate to its victims. Therefore, states and violence shelters need to urge same sex partners to speak up and mentor the LGBT’s in their population (Joyful heart foundation. 2013).
“Domestic violence is an emotional, physical, psychological, or sexual abuse perpetrated against a person by a person's spouse, former spouse, partner, former partner or by the other parent of a minor child” (McCue 2). While it is these things, the violence is also considered a pattern of demeanor used to establish power and control over another person with whom an intimate relationship is or has been shared through fear and intimidation (“Domestic Violence Sourcebook” 9). It has many names, including spouse abuse, domestic abuse, domestic assault, battering, partner abuse, marital strife, marital dispute, wife-beating, marital discord, woman abuse, dysfunctional relationship, intimate fighting, mate beating, and so on (2). Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Accommodations, believes that domestic violence is “terrorism in the home” (2). This type of abuse involves threats, harm, injury, harassment, control, terrorism, or damage to living beings/property (2). It isn't only in relationships with spouses, it also occurs within family, elderly, and children (9).
The immense prevalence of domestic violence occurs nationally; even more the existent of disparities amongst racial and ethnic groups. The Office of the Attorney General Annual Report (2015), states that in 2013 African-American domestic violence homicide rates were three times higher than rate amongst Caucasians in Virginia. Only about half of domestic violence victims report incidents to law enforcement. Several identified barriers exist amongst African-American women that deter them from leaving the abusive relationship such as financial disparities, education, health, and economic resources (Campbel et al., 2008). African-American women experience domestic violence than Caucasian women in the age group of 20-24. However, Black and White's women experience the same level of victimization in all other age categories (Campbel et al., 2008). The study found that nonwhite LGBTQ are least likely to access formal legal resources because they interpret the law to be less inclusive of their relationships. Found higher negative perceptions of domestic violence law as it applies to same-gender relationships. Furthermore, these findings imply that non-white LGB may be largely (and likely, unintentionally) excluded from the community-based outreach and education of advocacy and service organizations, explaining the existence of any potential knowledge gaps with regards to legal resources, changing policies, and protections. While these organizations seek to inform the LGBTQ community of such issues, there may be a substantial gap in who receives educational outreach and how they receive this outreach (Guadalupe-Diz,
West, C. M. (2002). Lesbian Intimate Partner Violence: Prevalence and Dynamics. Journal of Lesbian Studies, Vol. 6(1), pp 121-127.
Domestic violence is a violent act towards a person who is or has previously been an intimate partner. It is more common for males to carry out violent acts against their female spouse and while far less common females have also committed violent acts against their partners as well as issues with same sex partners (Davis 2008). Consequently, this behaviour can often lead to domestic homicide.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), twenty-four people per minute are affected be intimate partner violence. (2013) It is estimated that twelve million people in the United States alone are affected each year. Intimate partner violence includes anything from physical or sexual abuse to psychological abuse to stalking or threats by a current or former partner. This form of violence can occur among couples that identify with any sexual orientation. The CDC reports that individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual are at an equal or higher risk for intimate partner violence. (2013) Sexual intimacy within the relationship is not a requirement for violence to be considered intimate partner violence. (CDC, 2013)
The number of gays and lesbians in the U.S. is estimated to be approximately 8.8 million (randomhistory.com) About thirty-three percent of Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender commit suicide each year. At least fifty-two percent self-harm (dosomethinng.com). Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender are mistreated and misunderstood. Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender are treated inhumanely which causes them to go into a deep depression, self-harm, or even commit suicide. LGBT are humans, not just some creature from another world (personal).
Domestic violence can affect anyone, regardless of ethnicity, race, income, class, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. Domestic violence occurs in same-sex relationships, and men can be victims as well.
Domestic violence can happen to anyone, but Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is the most common violence to be committed in society (Ursa& Koehn, 2015).Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)is violence perpetrated by one intimate partner against the other partner (Halket, Gormley, Mello, Rosenthal, &Mirkin, 2014). IPV does not include elder or child abuse. Although women are likely to be victims of domestic violence, research shows that men are victims of domestic violence as well.(Halket, Gormley, Mello, Rosenthal, &Mirkin, 2014).For example, when violence is related to the family conflict there is a 4:1 ratio between females and males (Halket, Gormley, Mello, Rosenthal, &Mirkin, 2014). However, statistics reveals that more than 90% of violence is committed by a male
Attention Getter: According to The National Coalition of Domestic Violence, 1 in 3 women are victims of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. A woman is assaulted or beaten every 9 seconds in the US.
In 1974, a study was done which compared male and female domestic violence. In that study, it was found that 47% of husbands had used physical violence on their wives, and 33% of wives had used violence on their husbands (Gelles 1974). Half of the respondents in this study were selected from either cases of domestic violence reported to the police, or those identified by the social service agency.
Kuehnle, K., & Sullivan, A. (2001). Patterns of Anti-Gay Violence: An Analysis of Incident Characteristics and Victim Reporting. Journal of Intrapersonal Violence .
According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, there are more than 960,000 annual cases of domestic violence in the United States, 85% of the domestic violence victims are women, and women are eight times more likely than men to be a victim of assault by an intimate partner conservatively estimate that at least 11% of women in the United States are involved in abusive intimate relationships.
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.