Domestic Violence In Arab Society Essay

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What is domestic violence ? . Domestic violence is a type of abuse , which usually occurs between family members . Domestic Violence is a widespread problem that exists in many forms involving physical , sexual and emotional abuse . The signs of using physical or sexual abuse are : slapping , hair pulling , hitting , using weapons , unwanted sexual touching and forced intercourse . On the other hand , the signs of using emotional abuse are : yelling , insulting , humiliating and bullying . Domestic violence, especially wife battering , is the most dangerous form of violence in the Arab societies. In the Arab societies , this type of violence is considered a private matter …show more content…

In Arab societies , the wife is fully responsible for the violence against her , for being beaten because she obviously did something that annoyed her husband . According to Haj Yahia’s findings (1998 a ;1998 b ) , " Arab men and women are prone to justify violence towards wives if the wife does not obey her husband , undermines his authority , insults him in front of his friends , does not respect his parents and siblings , and does not live up to his expectations for functioning as a wife and a mother " (p.167). In rural Egypt , it is common for a husband to beat his wife if she refused to have sex with him ( El Zanaty et al. ,1996 ). To grasp the full meaning , the nature of Arab societies facilitates beating women …show more content…

Haj-Yehia (2000) stated that in cases of severe violence , it is recommend for battered women to seek help from social services or report to the police . However, in Arab societies , it isn 't desirable to involve the police in cases of domestic violence or even to reveal family secrets . Clearly , it is a painful step for a wife to go to the police to stop the violence against her because there are barriers that prevent her from doing such a step such as her children , her husband 's threats and even losing her family support . So, It is obvious that this solution is not working due to the barriers that deter battered women from seeking help . Also , in Arab societies , the police are identified as an oppressive , punitive , and exploiting agent , and not as a protective agent that provides the welfare of women . Thus , the best way to reduce women abuse is by taking legal action toward the batterer . There have to be laws that prevent a husband from beating his wife under any circumstance , and a punishment if violence occurs . Moreover , women must have backing ; a support system to protect and defend them . Social rules have to be reformed and women no longer have to accept this humiliating behavior . This solution will give women the courage to report to the police without feeling afraid of causing harm to their

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