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Sociological approaches to intimate violence
Sociological approaches to intimate violence
Cultural influences on domestic violence
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Domestic violence or Intimate Partner Violence concerns those in family type relationships, cohabitating, involved but not living together, or separated where violence occurs due to an imbalance of power and control from one of the parties within a relationship. One of the parties will go to great lengths to control others in their immediate household and will use different means to accomplish this goal and they are labeled as a batterer. The old term abuser can denote mostly ideas of physical and sexual means of violence as well as confuse intimate partner violence and sexual abuse of children, when there are many different forms that the violence can take, from emotional, religious, financial, and or physical among several others. Intimate partner violence is spoken …show more content…
People outside of a relationship, and who have never experienced the trauma of intimate partner violence, have a tendency to blame the victim for staying under a belief that it should be logically simple for the victim to leave such a relationship. Those relationships do not begin with violence but they end that way; the partner finally leaves, dies at the hands of the batterer, or in some cases kills the batterer. Intimate partner violence can happen to anyone, yet is something widely known to happen to women and is a large health concern for women globally (Bartol et al., 2015). Therefore, to reduce the violence from occurring addressing the societal perceptions and attitudes towards intimate partner violence is a necessary step since blaming the victim is still extremely common (Gracia, 2014). Within societies changing laws in respect to women, subjugated laws had assisted different forms of intimate partner violence to, at the time, be considered cultural
“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 another, 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). Domestic violence can have specific victims such as a spouse or domestic partner, a child, or an elder. Domestic violence can affect men as well as women. Some types of domestic violence are physical, verbal or nonverbal, sexual, stalking or cyberstalking, economic or financial, and spiritual.
Intimate partner violence is still a common issue that affects women from all walks of life. It is an issue that is too often ignored until the violence has become deadly. In the book “Women: Images and Realities a Multicultural Anthology,” chapter seven entitled “Violence Against Women” includes pieces that cover the issue of intimate partner violence. In Michele McKeon’s piece “Understanding Intimate Partner Violence” she states that “In 1994 the Violence Against Women Act was passed, revolutionizing programs, services, and funding for individuals affected by intimate partner violence and their families” (McKeon 497). Yet the revolutionized programs, which McKeon speaks of, haven’t changed the fact that the violence continues and in my opinion, it is not enough to just deal with the aftermath of the violence, the prevention of intimate partner violence is something that society needs to address. In addition, McKeon also states “The Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that 1,181 women were murdered by their intimate partners in 2005; two million women experience injurie...
Domestic violence, or battering, is the establishment of control and fear in a relationship through violence and other forms of abuse. The batterer uses acts of violence and a series of behaviors, including intimidation, threats, psychological abuse, a...
As can been seen when looking at the issue of intimate partner violence, both historically and more recent, much of intimate partner violence is gendered, meaning that men are normally the perpetrators of violence (Hattery and Smith 2017). For this reason, the feminist theory is one of the few middle range theories used to examine intimate partner violence (Hattery and Smith 2017). The assumption of the feminist theory is that patriarchy undergirds everything in human society and allows for the abuse and oppression of women through inequality of power and privilege (Hattery and Smith 2017). Patriarchy shapes individual power within the household, playing on culturally gendered norms and expectations, and institutional power, such as the criminal justice system; the main structures of society (Hattery and Smith 2017). For this reason, this theory focuses on the structural nature of the issue rather than the individual nature of intimate partner violence (Hattery and Smith 2017). Distribution of power allows male partners to abuse their partners and “get away” with it if the injury is not physically visible, or life threatening, it is not considered criminal. Most times the perpetrator of violence does is not prosecuted, whether it be underreporting or lack of follow-through by either the victim or the court system (Hattery and Smith 2017). Feminist theory proposes dismantling patriarchy, or at least the reform the way that intimate partner violence is handled by the court system through accountability (Hattery and Smith 2017). The largest flaw in the feminist theory is that it is said to not address “exceptions to the rule” which are cases where the female partner is the perpetrator; and fails to address violence seen in the LBGTQ community (Hattery and Smith 2017). The assertion that the feminist theory does not adequately explain violence in the LBGTQ community is short sighted. As with any heterosexual relationship, a homosexual relationship,
“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).
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 shelters emerged out of the 1970s during second-wave feminism to provide a refuge for victims of intimate partner violence. With the provision of food and shelter for women and their children fleeing an abusive home, these shelters can be seen to be positive reform for women. There are many avenues for women’s psychological support, such as support groups and counselling, many of which are offered within these shelters. While these shelters and psychological support undoubtedly provide a crucial service for many women and their children, there are some aspects of them that cannot be seen as positive reform. Many shelters only help women with their immediate problems and do not attempt to stem the growing levels of intimate
Relationship violence, also known as domestic violence, occurs when one person in the relationship uses violence to control, instill fear, intimidate, and hurt the other person. This type of violence is a serious problem. It happens to individuals of all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. It occurs in heterosexual relationships, as well as same-sex relationships. It can occur while the individuals are still involved, during a break-up, or when the relationship has come to an end. Most people who hear that there is violent, abusive behavior in a relationship think it is the man that is committing this type of behavior, but it can be committed by either the man or woman. According to U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 85% of women experienced some type of violence in their relationship, while 15% of men stated they have (U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013).
It consists of a pattern of coercive behaviors used by a competent adult to establish and maintain power and control over another competent adult”. (Experiencing and Witnessing Domestic Violence on School Aged Children p.g 584). It is an act of dominating and controlling the partner who lacks power. It can happen to anyone, anywhere where spouses and intimate partners are living together. This usually occurs in marriage, cohabitation where people are living together under the same roof. There is not only one kind of domestic violence rather it takes place in various forms such as verbal abuse, physical abuse , emotional and sex abuse. It doesn’t only happen in heterogeneous relationship; rather it can also occur in homogeneous
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).
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.
Introduction to Intimate Partner Violence Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a tremendously serious social and public health problem. Progression of intimate partner violence can lead to morbidity or mortality and affect various types of relationships. An intimate partner is one that is described by frequent contact, identifying as a couple, emotional bonding, and regular physical and/or sexual contact. A few examples of intimate partners include dating partners, spouses, girlfriends or boyfriends, and sexual partners. Violence within these intimate relationships can be psychological, physical, or sexual and present in heterosexual relationships, homosexual relationships, and to disabled partners in relationships.
Domestic abuse is a serious problem in America and all over the world. One in every four women experience physical abuse, sexual abuse, or both, by an intimate partner during their lifetime. Abuse can come in many forms, including physical, verbal, and financial abuse. In any form, abuse can cause serious mental and/or physical trauma for the victim. The negative outcomes of such abuse are amplified when the victim is pregnant.
Domestic violence is defined as “a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence
There are many different types of domestic violence. It ranges from physical, emotional, psychological, or sexual. Studies show that emotional abuse is as harmful as physical abuse. Emotional abuse is anything done verbally. Name-calling, yelling, blaming, and shaming are a few examples of emotional abuse. A person being emotionally abused might think that they’re the problem, that everything is their fault. They will be used to being called anything that will bring them down. When you threaten someone so that they will do exactly what they’re told, you’re leaving a scar on them emotionally. “Physical abuse is the use of physical force against another person in a way that ends up injuring the person or putting the person at risk of being injured”(Haley55).