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. By embracing a greater understanding of family violence offenses as a whole, as well as understanding the different mind-sets of victims and offenders alike, law enforcement officials and criminal justice personnel will be able to protect those who fall victim to it, and provide help to those who are offenders of family violence. keywords: family violence, victimization, Family Violence: A Problem Further Explained Throughout history, the criminal justice system has formed various different opinions in regards to domestic violence. These range from protecting women, to believing they are strong enough to take care of themselves, and then finally back to protecting victims of domestic violence. These ideologies help convey various differences in public opinions towards domestic violence, and how much blame should be placed on the victims themselves. Through proper research in this area, many criminal justice agencies and lawmakers can develop and implement various policies and laws, which will aim not only to protect the victims, but also to lower re-victimization levels, as well as providing adequate education, punishment, and counselling for those who are the perpetrators of this nasty crime. Description/Explanation of the Topic/Issue The question many ask of victims of domestic violence is why they stay in abusive relationships (Nitu, 2012). Leaving an abusive relationship is, most of the times, easier said than done. As Nitu (2012) notes, many women who are in abusive relationships have a true fear of further violence if they leave, attempt to leave, or seek help in dealing with an abusive relationship. These fears transcend their fears for their own personal safety and move onto their fears of abuse to their children, if any are present. As a society, we have the right to ask that question. As of 2003, domestic violence was costing the United States over 8 billion dollars, with over 1 billion of that cost being for fatalities due to domestic violence situations (Nitu, 2012). Furthermore, the risk for children who are present in abusive relationships rise as well. Not only will the chances of the children being abused rise, but the probability they themselves will become engaged in abusive relationships rise as well. When children are involved in domestic violence situations, implementation of intervention programs will teach them the consequences of domestic violence. The focus of any criminal justice society should be to support the abused in leaving abusive relationships. Stress should be put on the importance of the safety of any children involved, life is better outside of the abusive relationship, and the victim does not need to feel dependent on their abuser. Through Artz (2011) research, it was found the reduction rate in family violence cases in the court system in regards to protective orders were due to less than half of women follow up with the courts to receive final orders; why is this? Current laws allow women to apply for protective orders, which help prevent further acts of violence against the victim from the offender. This process generally follows two steps: the victim applying for a protective order, which the magistrate will generally approve if there is enough prima facie evidence violence occurred in the household, and ultimately procuring a final protective order from the court (Artz, 2011). Artz (2011) states one dilemma facing victims who file domestic violence cases with the police and courts is the threat of further violence, which can be much worse than the original incident. This can be true for the mere application of a protective order as well. At times when a victim applies for the protective order, a ‘boomerang effect’ develops; that is the offender escalates his or her threats and violence towards the victim in order to make the victim drop the order and further charges (Artz, 2011, p. 6). In the most severe of cases, victims and their families find themselves threatened with death if they do not drop charges. Some studies showed a positive correlation between the violent threats towards victims and their decision not to pursue charges or any other mediation (Artz, 2011). In other words, threatened violence by the offender directed towards the victim was a reason behind the victim failing to cooperate. Artz (2011) further notes studies performed in the 1990’s showed women may not follow through with the process due to the criminal justice process itself. The process is very time consuming and with multiple court dates, taking off work and finding adequate childcare can create issues (Artz, 2011, p. 8). These studies also found the problems that can occur with the service of protection orders, misunderstanding of the criminal justice system itself, and once again, being afraid of the offender, will serve as a determining factor in a victims’ willingness to cooperate with further court proceedings. Artz (2011) further indicates the failure of victims to cooperate with the process can make problems worse, as the cycle of family violence grows worse over time. As noted above, if a victim seeks mediation, from either the police or courts, the violence can turn deadly (Artz, 2011). This is true not only for the victim, but for the family and any children involved. Because of this, women use reasoning in order to make a decision on whether or not to continue with the criminal justice process, which with the problems noted above, can be viewed as unreliable (Artz, 2011). One problem facing the problem of domestic violence is the perception the victim has towards the police and the opinions they form (Stewart, Langan, & Hannem, 2013). Stewart et al. (2013) indicate studies show the victim can base their decision to continue with prosecution solely based off their interaction with the initial investigating officers. If the interaction is not a positive one, the victim may decide against following through with prosecution. However, if the interaction is positive, the victim may follow through with procuring protection orders, prosecution itself, and in some cases leaving the violent relationship. Stewart et al. (2013) note female victims whose initial investigating officer is also a female tend to have a less positive view on the interaction due to the female officer not being as sympathetic to them. That being said, this opinion is not absolute, as some women believ... ... middle of paper ... ...found ultimately went against public opinions on who was prosecuted for these cases. The study found cases where the female was a defendant was less likely to be dismissed than those whose offender was an African American or Hispanic male. Studies also showed in cases where the victim was an African American or Hispanic female, the chance of prosecution was less. Romain and Freiburger (2013) also found when an African American was given bail for a domestic violence offense; their chances of prosecution were greater than those, of the same race, who had prior felony convictions. As for the age of offenders, no data supported the public opinion that younger offenders were more violent than older offenders were (Romain and Freiburger, 2013). Policy Implications Works Cited Artz, L. (2011). Fear or failure?: Why victims of domestic violence retract from the criminal justice process. SA Crime Quarterly, (37), 3-10. Auchter, B., & Backes, B. L. (2013). NIJ’s program of domestic violence research: Collaborative efforts to build knowledge guided by safety for victims and accountability of perpetrators. Violence Against Women, 19(6), 713-736. doi:10.1177/1077801213494703. Belknap, J., & Potter, H. (2005). The trials of measuring the “success” of domestic violence policies. Criminology & Public Policy, 4(3), 559-566. Carney, M., & Buttell, F. P. (2005). Exploring the relevance of attachment theory as a dependent variable in the treatment of women mandated into treatment for domestic violence offenses. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 41(4), 33-61. doi:10.1300/J076v41 n04̱02. Eigenberg, H. M., Kappeler, V. E., & McGuffee, K. (2012). Confronting the complexities of domestic violence: A social prescription for rethinking police training. Journal of Police Crisis Negotiations, 12(2), 122-145. doi:10.1080/15332586.2012.717045. Nitu, A. (2012). The consequences of domestic violence on women and children. Journal of Criminal Investigation, 5(1), 86-91. Pitts, W. J., Givens, E., & McNeeley, S. (2009). The need for a holistic approach to specialized domestic violence court programming: Evaluating offender rehabilitation needs and recidivism. Juvenile & Family Court Journal, 60(3), 1-21. doi:10.1111/j.1755-6988.2009.01029.x. Policastro, C., & Payne, B. K. (2013). The blameworthy victim: Domestic violence myths and the criminalization of victimhood. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 22(4), 329-347. doi:10.1080/10926771.2013.775985. Ramsey, C. B. (2013). The exit myth: Family law, gender roles, and changing attitudes toward female victims of domestic violence. Michigan Journal of Gender & Law, 20(1), 1-32. Romain, D. M., & Freiburger, T. L. (2013). Prosecutorial discretion for domestic violence cases: an examination of the effects of offender race, ethnicity, gender, and age. Criminal Justice Studies, 26(3), 289-307. doi:10.1080/1478601X.2012.745399. Shuler, C. A. (2010). Male victims of intimate partner violence in the United States: An examination of the review of literature through the critical theoretical perspective. International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences, 5(1), 163-173. Stewart, C., Langan, D., & Hannem, S. (2013). Victim experiences and perspectives on police responses to verbal violence in domestic settings. Feminist Criminology, 8(4), 269-294. doi:10.1177/1557085113490782. Zosky, D. L. (2010). Accountability in teenage dating violence: A comparative examination of adult domestic violence and juvenile justice systems policies. Social Work, 55(4), 359-368.
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Although domestic violence is a significant societal problem, which continues to receive public and private sector attention, intervention and treatment programs have proven inconsistent in their success. Statistics by various organization show that many offenders continue to abuse their victims. Approximately 32% of battered women are victimized again, 47% of men who abuse their wives do so at least three times per year (MCFBW). There are many varying fact...
In the past, when officers have responded to domestic violence calls from police officer’s wives, they would identify with the officer and favor their colleague rather than treating the incident as a criminal offense (Wetendorf, 1998:1). In many situations officers wo...
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).
It is common knowledge that Ray Rice used his wife as a punching bag in the elevator of an Atlantic City casino. What is truely remarkable is that his fiancé became his wife after that vicious left hook to the face left her unconscious. Why do women stay with men who beat them unconscious? Domestic violence is a serious and complex plague of society that affects all, but women make up the largest number of victims in most case studies. In the United States alone, '1.5 million women are raped or physically assaulted by an intimate partner each year. More than 500,000 women victims require medical treatment, and 324,000 victims are pregnant at the time of assault' (Berlinger, 'Taking' 42). Numbers like these show how intense the situation of domestic violence truly is. 'Two women a week are killed by a current or former partner and domestic violence accounts for 22% of all recorded violent crimes' (Jamil 70). Domestic violence takes such a large number in percentages regarding violent crimes, yet often is dismissed by many with the idea that 'this won't happen to me'. Somehow, somewhere, domestic violence will touch everyone whether by someone they know or by televised publication. Though domestic violence affects men as well, the female subject is more often the victim. Domestic violence has a continuous cycle that has been influenced since birth and can be stopped with intervention but each victim's reason for staying will vary.
Domestic violence, also referred to as intimate partner violence, intimate partner abuse or domestic abuse, affects over one million people in the United States alone. It can be carried out in any number of ways including physically, emotionally, sexually, psychologically and/or financially. Its legal definition considers it to be “any assault, battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, or any criminal offense resulting in physically injury or death of one family member or household member by another who is residing in the same single dwelling unit” (Brown, 2008). In the United States it is considered a major health problem so much so that it was declared the number one health concern by the U.S. Surgeon General in 1992 (Peterman & Dixon, 2003). Not only is it a rapidly growing health problem but it is a growing societal concern as well. Extending beyond the effect felt by the victims and their families, it impacts our communities, government, law enforcement and public service agencies.
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).
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.
The initial intention of the prosecutor is to protect society, not just the individual victim. Prosecutors obtain an uncommon opportunity, by means of effective early involvement, to put a stop to potential incidences of domestic violence. The verdict to advance with prosecution is not the victim’s choice, but the prosecutor’s. Despite this the rate of prosecution is still regulated by the reluctance of so many victims to participate in the prosecution. When victims cooperate, prosecutors are seven times more likely to proceed with prosecution (McCorkle, 2017). Most victims are reluctant to take part in prosecution because of their own personal goals of enhancing safety, maintaining economic viability, protecting their children, or forcing the offender in participate in batterer’s counseling. There are also some leading elements that motivates victims to initiate prosecution in their domestic violence cases like: the curiosity about how criminal justice system could assist them in meeting their specific needs, the confirmation of
Thesis: In my paper, I will be examining the different types, possible causes, and effects of Intimate Partner Violence, and what treatments or programs are available to combat this growing problem in America. Regardless of differing approaches to fight it, statistics show that women all across the world suffer from the effects of domestic violence at a similar rate independent of class, race, or religion.
Domestic violence is not just fighting, hitting or an occasional argument. It’s a chronic abuse of power. The abuser of domestic violence, controls and tortures the victim of threats, intimidation, and physical violence. Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of violence in America. The abusers are not only men, women can be abusers as well. Women make up the vast majority of domestic violence. According to the American Bar Association (ABA), 90-95% of domestic violence victims are females and 70% of intimidating homicides are females. Domestic violence is a serious crime and everyone needs to be aware of its effects. This essay presents and explains the evidence supporting the major risk factors for intimate partner homicides.
The Boston Police Department has started enforcing new laws that require an officer to make an arrest when responding to cases of domestic violence. This is a strict new law that is being enforced. Previously, it was not necessary to make an arrest for such an incident. The officer had to make sure that the parties were safe and could judge on what action to carry out next. 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.
“Domestic violence is a violent confrontation between family or household members involving physical harm, sexual assault, or fear of physical harm” (Stewart & Croudep, 1998-2012). In most places, domestic violence is looked at as one of the higher priorities when trying to stop crime. Domestic violence cases are thought to be influenced by the use of alcohol, drugs, stress or anger, but in reality, they are just learned behaviors by the batterer. These habits can be stopped as long as one seeks help (Stewart & Croudep, 1998-2012). For instance, a child is brought up in a household that is constantly involved in criminal acts.
Domestic violence is surely a horror affecting over ten million victims every year. Dealing with the menace would mean improving the lives of millions of people better every year. The article Domestic violence is an issue that affects many people probes into several efforts by law enforcing agency to mitigate the menace from within their community, juxtaposing the Domestic Violence Intervention Education Project (DVIEP) by the New York police department and the Domestic Violence Reduction Unit (DVRU) that was operational in Portland
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. First of all, the most important tool we have available against this type of crime are the authorities, which include the police department, hospital, and social workers. If they manage to work together as a team to make the whole process of protecting a victim more efficient, it will encourage victims to actually phone for help.