Domestic Violence As A Personal Choice
Sociology 102
Kalah Wilson
11/23/2015
Amber Damiano
People are exposed to violence on a daily basis, whether it is through media, personal relationships, or simply observed during daily activities. The few types of violence that are most prominent in today’s society are physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, and domestic violence. Domestic violence is one of the most problematic and dangerous forms of violence that exist due to the detrimental effects it has on the individuals directly involved, children who witness these acts of violence, and society as a whole. Both men and women can be victims of domestic abuse, however, Safe Horizon states that, “1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence during her lifetime” (Safe Horizon). Everyone who experiences or witnesses domestic abuse are affected in detrimental ways. The abusers often have anger problems or lack of impulse control which only progresses. The victims become physically and emotionally scarred and the children who fall witness to parental domestic violence develop issues with emotional and behavioral functioning as well as social competence. More often than not, domestic violence is a learned behavior by children in abusive homes. Research conducted by The American Medical Association estimates that over 3.3 million children observe spousal abuse every year (Bennett, 1995). Because of this, children will believe this behavior is ‘okay’ and may even
Domestic violence has a face. However, the face of domestic violence has viscerally shifted; it is no longer the calm but resolute face I knew, but rather an unfamiliar one. While domestic violence is seen as something physical, it is also mental, verbal, and intimidation. Domestic violence is another example - threats, intimidation, and violence- of abuse of power and abuse of authority. Men are not the only ones who hold the reins of power in domestic situations. In fact, when they are at the receiving end of abuse, this particular social construct gets in the way of their reporting on their plights.
“It is estimated that approximately 1.5 million women and 830,000 men experience physical or sexual assault annually in the United States by intimate partners” (De Jong, 2016, p. 201). “In the United States more than 15 million children live in families in which domestic violence occurs and almost half of these children witness severe violence in assaults of a parent” (De Jong, 2016, p. 201).
there is not a single news broadcast aired on television or radio that does not have at least one account of violence perpetrated against an individual or group.” (Crosson-Tower p.81). Our youths encounter violence in almost every aspect of their daily life at home, at school, through the media, or on the streets of their neighborhoods. I feel that when children are exposed to violence, they suffer and it tends to negatively affect children’s normal development and their future wellbeing. For instance, children that are exposed to domestic violence are more likely than those whom are not exposed to this type of violence to exhibit so same traits and are more likely to later be in an abusive adult relationship, as either aggressor or victim.
Violence in any form can have a lasting effect on a person. Children who witness violence are permanently scarred because of what they are seeing. Children who witness family or domestic violence are affected in ways similar to children who are physically abused. Children are often unable to establish nurturing bonds with either parent and are at a greater risk for abuse and neglect if he or she lives in a violent home. Statistics show that an estimated 3.3 million children are exposed to violence against their mothers or female caretakers by family members in their home each year (Ackerman & Pickering, 1989). When a spouse, woman or male is abused, and there are
Astounding statistics reported by the Children’s Defense Fund, “An estimated 3 to 4 million women in the United States are battered each year by their partners, In homes where domestic violence occurs, children are seriously abused or neglected at a rate 1500% higher than the national average in the general population, Between 2.3 and 10 million children are witnesses to family violence, Based on an estimate of 2 children per household, in 55% of violent homes, at least 3.3 million children in the U.S. are at risk of witnessing domestic violence each year,” (Retrieved, 10/12/2011, http://cdf.childrensdefense.org).
Domestic violence should have harsher punishments because domestic violence is a growing problem that is passed down from past generations to future generations. Victim boys who have witnessed domestic violence are more than likely to become abusers themselves, continuing the cycle of violence to the next generation. Without help, girls who witness domestic violence are more vulnerable to abuse as teens and adults. The age group of 18 to 34 years of age in women are at a higher risk of being abused. More than 4 million women experience physical assault and rape by their partners. Domestic violence also affects the family in the different ways that a family works together, such as the destruction of trust between the victor and the victim. If
What is intimate partner violence? Intimate partner violence is when a partner is physical and sexually abused. Intimate violence can occur among heterosexual or same-sex couples. Twenty seven percent of women and nearly 12% of men in the United States have experienced contact sexual, violence, physical, or stalking by an intimate partner (Prevent Domestic Violence in Your Community, 2014). 85% of women are victims of domestic violence.1/3 of American women and ¼ of women worldwide will experience domestic/dating violence in their lifetime. (11 Facts About Domestic And Dating Violence, 2014)
Violence affects a healthy family’s relationship, state of mind and well-being, in other words, it’s normal functions. Because of violence, children are forced to endure and cope with mental, physical and emotional trauma leading to a display of impacts on health, development, and wellbeing. The effects build up over time and can impact on every aspect of their life. How many children and innocent lives must suffer from something unnecessary? Imagine walking into a home late at night to find a child hiding in a corner, with a bloody face and cuts all around their body saying they were self-inflicted or making up other silly excuses like falling down the stairs out of extreme fear. Up to 75% of all acts of domestic violence occurs between the ages 18-24. No child should ever see domestic violence as normal because the moment that happens a future perpetrator has been born. We need to take a stand and refuse to let domestic violence become something we ignore.
The phrase “domestic violence” typically refers to violence between adult partners. Sadly, it has been estimated that every year between 3.3 and ten million children are exposed to domestic violence in the confines of their own home (Moylan, Herrenkohl, Sousa et al. 2009). According to research conducted by John W. Fantuzzo and Wanda K. Mohr (1999): “Exposure to domestic violence can include watching or hearing the violent events, direct involvement (for example, trying to intervene or calling the police), or experiencing the aftermath (for example, seeing bruises or observing maternal depression)” (Fantuzzo & Mohr, 22). The effects of exposure can lead to behavioral and developmental issues at a young age or interpersonal relationships
This paper is about Domestic Violence and how it affects the people that are victims of this abuse. You will read examples of domestic violence and see how the world has viewed this crime from the beginning of time to the present. Domestic violence doesn’t only affect women, there are also crimes of domestic violence reported of men being victims of this crime, but it is more prevalent in women being abused than any other gender. Children also suffer in families of domestic abuse; you will see examples in this paper on how children are affected. There are many forms of domestic abuse and this paper will point out the different tactics that
“Every year, in the United States there are over 3 million incidents of reported domestic violence. Every year, 4,000 victims of domestic violence are killed.” (Domestic Violence: Disturbing Facts about Domestic Violence). Domestic violence is a crime that is not just committed in the United States, but worldwide. This crime is committed every day, every hour, every minute, and every second. Anybody can be a victim or the abuser. This can happen to any child, man or woman. This is a horrific crime. Women are more likely to be the victim in domestic violence than men. “Forty-five percent of all violent attacks against female victims 12 years old and older by multiple
“There are more than three million children that are a witness to domestic violence in their own homes every year (Prinz 2003)”. When a child lives in a home when they are exposed to domestic violence they suffer also. They are at risk for abuse and neglect at thirty to sixty percent. “When children are exposed to domestic violence, they are more at risk for health problems, including becoming sick more often, having frequent headaches and stomachaches, and being more tired and lethargic than normal children (Prinz 2003)”. Children will try to intervene when they witness their parent being abused. This can put the child at great risk for injury and even cause death. In the United States there are between ten and twenty percent of children that are exposed to domestic violence.
Domestic violence is considered a crime in the United States and in many other countries around the world. Every 15 seconds, there is a woman being beaten by her husband or intimate partner. When we think of domestic violence, our minds automatically create an image of a male physically abusing a female. Although in most cases the victim is usually a female, we must also be aware that in today’s society, men are also victims of domestic violence. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief, about 3.2 million men are abused by their partners each year (Domestic). However, this is only an estimate based on reported incidents. It is also extremely important to understand that domestic violence, is not only
The deepest problem with domestic violence is that some cultures do not believe there is such a thing. Domestic violence can be perpetrated in many ways such as sexual abuse, psychological abuse, social abuse, economic abuse and spiritual abuse. Abusers who commit domestic violence do so to control their victim, and maintain that control by threatening the victim’s safety and/or that of people they love. Punishment for cases of domestic violence should be taken into consideration. However, most governments do not consider the cultural background of couples when deciding whether to prosecute reported cases of domestic violence. Furthermore,
Domestic Violence in American has had a rapid increase since 2009. In this video, we see the stories of brave women that have been abused. Abuse is led by a mixture of love, anger and jealousy, explained an officer. Statistics show a woman is a victim of abuse every 18 seconds meaning 1 out of every 4 women will face domestic violence. Many women are suffering domestic violence during their marriage. They were also being abused during their childhood and live in fear of not knowing what will happen next. The abuser in various cases has either been abused himself or was raised seeing that type of behavior. Many children fear and are too afraid to tell anyone so they express themselves threw pictures and drawings. When the abuser strikes he only