Social Labeling Theory Essay

Identifying Domestic Violence

A common, and often frowned upon topic that is considered deviant by our society, is that of domestic violence. Domestic violence takes place within intimidation, sexual assault physical threat, assault/battery, and other abusive behaviors used as a manner of power/control by one significant partner towards the other (Schwartz, Taylor, Thio 123). We, as a society, consider any treatment that goes beyond our legal standards, and within what is socially labeled as cruel or violent, as abusive. A common example would be a husband regularly resorting to physical violence-such as slapping or hitting- as a show of strength, power, and control over their wife.

Society’s Reaction Societies reaction to violence amongst

Deviants, such as abusers, are often categorized by surrounding individuals in their society, due to not conforming to the specific rules and regulations set by the law. For a scenario such as our domestic violence example- involving an abusive spouse- labeling theory suggests that when individuals are placed under arrest for partner abuse, they then become labeled as criminals by both themselves and society. The given label of “criminal” then increases chances of subsequent abusive/violent behavior on the part of the arrested party. This however, has been found to vary based on the individuals economic and social standing. Arrest and prosecution, as well as loss of social standing, has been found to be a much more effective deterrent for abusive behavior amongst those who are employed and of social standing than it is for the unemployed. If we apply the labeling theory in this scenario, we can say that while an arrest will not deter all individuals from committing domestic violence; it will most likely deter most employed individuals, while increasing the likelihood of future criminal acts for individuals who have less to