Reflection
Today was an incredibly long, tiring and interesting day shadowing a Domestic Violence Duty Lawyer from the Gold Coast Community Legal Centre. From 8:30 in the morning till 4:30 in the afternoon, we did not stay in the same place for more than 30 minutes at a time. Throughout my day I really came to distinguished the difference between practicing as a Community Legal Centre Lawyer and as a Private Lawyer. Working at the Southport Magistrates Court I began to learn some of the court etiquette and procedures that one day will become my day to day job.
I felt a lot more confident going into today, I wasn’t anxious about what to wear or what to say, I was really just excited to get in there and work. Having read some domestic violence
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In fact, in all four of the cases that I dealt with today, there was not one mention of actual physical violence towards the aggrieved. In all of the poster boards, advertisements and discussion on domestic violence, this inference of physical violence in a domestic relationship takes the front stage and very rarely is there mention of all the other types of domestic violence that can occur. I suppose this is because visually you can see that someone is a victim of domestic violence – you can’t however see the mental and emotional damage caused by domestic violence on a …show more content…
She usually had around 30 minutes to an hour to listening to the client’s case and prepare to make submissions to the court. For the first three clients, the interview involved hearing the backstory associated with the case and then trying to establish exactly what the client wanted to achieve. However, for the fourth and final client of the day, it became apparent how different the duties of a duty lawyer and a private lawyer actually are. The fourth client had another proceedings running in the Federal Circuit Court with regards to a Family Law Order but she had also made proceedings in the Magistrates court for a TPO after she found out that her ex-husband had hired a private investigator to survey the matrimonial house. They shared a child together, and the ex-husband had hired not only a solicitor but also a barrister to assist in both 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).
Mary Margaret Farren was the wife of a successful husband. Among other things, at one point J. Michael Farren served as Deputy White House Counsel under President George W. Bush. Mary’s husband didn’t only exude power in his public life, although that is certainly one thing he was known for prior to January 2010. At home, the Farren household was troubled with fear and intimidation. Mary never thought Michael would go as far as it took to physically assault her. He lived a life about ethics. At first, the abuse was verbal and emotional. “I was careful never to not to trigger it,” Mary said when discussing the “rage” that Michael had (ABC News 2015). On January 6th, 2010, the physical assault peaked. Michael attacked Mary in their bedroom,
There are many different types of domestic violence. Physical abuse is the most obvious form, but this is not to say that outsiders always recognize it. Generally, physical violence causes bodily harm, using a variety of methods. Slapping, pushing, throwing, hitting, punching, and strangling are only a few methods. An object or weapon may or may not be used. There is not always physical evidence of physical abuse such as bruising, bleeding, scratches, bumps, etc., therefore, absence of physical marks does not necessarily mean physical abuse had not occurred. Physical abuse sometimes escalates to murder (Morris and Biehl 7, Haley 14-17).
Domestic violence can often go unnoticed, unreported and undeterred before it’s too late. Unfortunately, recent awareness efforts have gathered traction only when public outcry for high profile cases are magnified through the media. Despite this post-measured reality, a general response to domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) by the majority of the public is in line with what most consider unacceptable and also with what the law considers legally wrong. Consider by many, more than just a social discrepancy, the Center of Diseases Control and Prevention currently classifies IPV and DV as a social health problem (CDC, 2014).
Domestic violence and abuse takes place within family-type intimate relationships and forms a pattern of intimidating and controlling behaviors, which overtime escalates (Dennis, T. 2014, p 1). It can also cause physical psychological or sexual harm to these relations as well (Gul & Faiz, 2013). Domestic Violence according to Fairtlough (2006) is “the misuse of power and the exercise of control by one individual over another, generally by men over women, with whom they have been in an intimate relationship. It assumes a wide range of abusive physical, sexual, and psychological behaviors.” Dennis argued that domestic violence has become a serious societal and public health issue and is a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders
However, it is too often overlook that domestic violence may not only occur in terms of a man meting out violence against a woman but could also render a man as the victim too. Many times people turn their backs on male victims of domestic violence (Murray, S. & Powell, A. (2007). Due to the focus on violence against women, men lack a proper or even popular framework to fight domestic violence when it occurs that they are victims (Cruz, 1996). There is also a stereotype that only women can be victims of domestic violence. This makes it hard for men to open up and report when they experience violence from a partner (Cruz, 1996).
During the 1980s and 1900s, domestic violence was one of the most unreported crimes that involve females and males getting hurt and dying. Kicking, choking, killing, and saying brutal or despise words that could hurt the victims physically or emotionally are considered domestic violence. In fact, many victims are afraid to seek for help. According to “The Domestic Violence Resource Center (DVRC), women account for approximately 85 percent of all intimate partner violence, with women aged 20-24 at greater risk” (Batten, par.16). Most pregnant women are at risk as well. “But underlying approach is still one that assumes the perpetrators are men and the victims are woman” (Haugen, par. 1). Moreover, both males and females believe that domestic violence is a solution to their issues.
One of Americas’ most common global issues is domestic violence, a crime that is considered physical or aggressive behavior at home and typically through a spouse. According to HelpGuide.org ‘’Domestic violence and abuse can happen to anyone, yet the problem is overlooked, excused, or denied (paragraph 1). Which I agree a hundred percent , due to I have witnessed it happening within my family, and majority of the time the victim is usually in denial that they are being physically and emotionally abused. Domestic violence should be justified the same no matter how big or small the issue is, because most of the time the problem is only going to get bigger. Domestic violence should have zero tolerance, no one should express their “love” through
Domestic violence occurs in many different ways. Domestic violence can be sexual, physical, emotional, mental, and psychological. All domestic violence cases are different, but have the same pattern. According to The United States Department of Justice, domestic violence is “any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone”. In other words, people show domestic violence in different ways, they can physically or mentally try to hurt or harm their partners. Most people who was experiencing domestic violence kept it a secret, because they were ashamed. However, nowadays people are becoming more vocal about the issue and they are defending themselves by speaking
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
Apparently, domestic violence manifests in the social set up in a number of ways. One is through physical abuse, where physical force ...
To begin with, the definition of domestic violence is “the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another” (“What Is Domestic Violence”). Ranging from grown women to young children, many are victims to abuse. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, “nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States” (“Statistics”). Just by calculating, that is 28,800 people who are abused in just ONE DAY! The scary part is that this number does not even account for the numerous cases that are not even told. Many victims are threatened or even hurt so bad that they must keep their mouth shut in fear of even worse abuse to come. Of
BIBLIOGRAPHY Barron et. al. 1992 WAFE Evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee Enquiry into Domestic Violence Bristol: WAFE Woman’s Aid Federation (England) Report 1992 Hague & Malos 1995 Against Domestic Violence: Inter Agency Initiatives Bristol SAUS Punching Judy BBC Television Programme 1989 Domestic Violence – Report of an Inter Agency Working Party 1992 Mooney J 1994 The Hidden Figures: Domestic Violence in North London London Islington Police & Crime Unit Inter-Agency Circular; Inter Agency Co-Ordination to Tackle Domestic Violence Home Office, 1995 Grace S 1995 Policing Domestic Violence in the 1990’s Home Office Research Study British Crime Survey 1996 The Home Office Dobash/Dobash/Cavanagh/Lewis 1996 Research Evaluation of Programmes for violent Men Scottish Office Central Research Unit Dobash/Dobash/Cavangh/Lewis 1996 Re-Education Programmes for Violent men – an Evaluation Home Office Research Findings No 46 Domestic Violence & Repeat Victimisation Home Office Police Research Briefing Note No 1/98 The Family Law Act Part IV 1996
When I saw that the writing assignment for this week I can honestly say I did not look forward to sitting down and writing it. In fact, I put it off….did a ton of other things around my house before I could get myself to sit down and somehow put what I have to say about my personal experience/knowledge that I have with domestic violence.
Kennedy, Bernice R. Domestic Violence: A.k.a. Intimate Partner Violence (ipv). New York: iUniverse, 2013. Print.