|
Research
Paper on Domestic Violence
Today I am a very sociable,
strong-minded person but this was not always the case. Many
people who know me now would find it hard to believe that I have
spent my married life trembling in fear due to unending domestic
violence. I lived my daily life not different from many
prisoners of war. My every action was completely controlled by
my abuser thus I became the victim of psyche warfare. Simply I
was a victim of domestic violence. To cap it all, despite being
in certain conditions I could not get out of this until my
daughter was born. That was the time when my all-family members
found me rushing to nearby maternity home without any sort of
help from my so-called life partner.
Need a custom research paper? we can write custom research papers for you!
I feel it’s important to explain my past so that it is clearly
understood that anybody can become a victim of domestic
violence. We all have insecurities and self-doubts and those are
precisely what abusers thrive on. I want victims to understand
that it is possible to escape from a violent bond and reclaim
their self-respect. It is tough; sometimes escape can be risky
but survivors will tell you that one moment of freedom is worth
more than a lifetime in chains.
Why women bear domestic violence?
Following are some justifications given by women to remain
victim of domestic violence for the rest of the life:
Helplessness
A lot of women who are a victim of domestic violence are
financially dependent on their abusers. There are numerous
reasons for this; an abuser will often try to isolate the victim
from anybody or anything that might offer support either
emotionally or economically. This allows the abuser to have
power over his victim, without interference from those who might
give aid to the victim. This isolation causes the victim to
become dependent on her abuser, and it insures that she will
have nowhere to go. Even when a victim has the wish to escape
the violence, the fundamental requirements of food, shelter, and
clothing for her children usually surpass her need for security.
To leave a domestic violence relationship, a woman needs a place
to live, a source of income, childcare and transportation. Most
victims are denied access to these things in a vicious
relationship, leaving her escape resources insolvent.
The trickiest issue a victim must beat in order to get away is
her fear of her abuser's threats to kill her. Alas, this fear is
not always baseless. Abusive men often shoot up violence after a
victim flees to security and time and again he brings back his
victim and her children. Indeed, as many as 75% of visits to
medical emergency rooms by battered women occur after they have
separated from the aggressive partner.
Need a custom research paper? we can write custom research papers for you!
The Forms of Abuse
Physical Abuse includes hitting, shoving, choking, biting,
kicking, slapping, punching, pulling hair, burning, bruising,
twisting, preventing access to an exit, or using a weapon to
bully and/or intimidate.
Emotional Abuse is the hardest for women to remain alive her
self identify. Emotional abuse is the systematic degrading of
the victim's self-esteem. This may be accomplished by
withholding of love, intimidation, mocking; cruelty to pets,
using put-downs, giving the details of relationships, refusing
to talk, showing jealousy, refusing to allow a partner to
have/make friends, taking anger out on the children and pets,
not allowing the victim financial access or convincing the
victim that she (the victim) is crazy.
Sexual Abuse can include forcing sex against a partner's will,
forbidding birth control, physically hurting partner during sex,
oral abuse including humiliating sexual comments, forcing
unwanted sexual practices on partner, hiding a sexually
transmitted disease from partner, and forced sex with objects.
Economic Abuse is accomplished by preventing the victim from
working outside the home, not permitting the victim to make any
economic decisions, having to justify all expenditure, baseless
blaming for monetary troubles, withholding of financial
information, and withholding access to finances.
Characteristics of an Abuser
*The majority of abusers are emotionally deprived.
*Abusers want to feel in control; they use aggression as a means
to control their partner.
*Abusers are likely to behave normally toward other family
members, friends and work acquaintances.
*They are generally very unconfident and insecure. Overwhelming
their victim gives them a sense of power.
*Abusers are habitually very critical of their partner.
*They can be exceedingly jealous.
*Abusers often reject blame for their actions and can even deny
that any abuse ever happened.
*They reduce the abuse and blame their partners for their
violent behavior.
The Sequence Of Abuse
1. Tension Building
Minor incidents occur and tension begins to build. The victim
generally tries to control the situation by apologizing, making
promises and accepting blame. The victim will generally seek to
"smooth things over" and solve the problem in order to reduce
the aggression.
2. Attack
Tension rises until there is verbal abuse that will often lead
to physical aggression. Victims often play down or reject the
brutality of their injuries to pacify their perpetrators with
the hope of preventing more violence. Pleading from the victim
during this phase usually only serves to increase the violence.
Need a custom research paper? we can write custom research papers for you!
3. Apologies and pardon
The abuser acts sorry and seems confused by his actions;
generally the abuser starts to cry. The abuser promises to
'never do it again'. The victim focuses on how loving her abuser
can be. In relationships that do not have the 'apology' stage
the victim is likely to leave their abuser sooner and is less
likely to return to the relationship. Records show that there is
a direct link between the apology stage and a victim's
willingness to stay in the relationship.
Occurrence of Domestic Violence
• Estimates range from 960,000 incidents of violence against a
current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend per year to
three million women who are physically abused by their husband
or boyfriend per year.
• Nearly one-third of American women (31 percent) report being
physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some
point in their lives, according to a 1998 Commonwealth Fund
survey.
• Thirty percent of Americans say they know a woman who has been
physically abused by her husband or boyfriend in the past year.
• Intimate partner violence is primarily a crime against women.
In 1999, women accounted for 85 percent of the victims of
intimate partner violence (671,110 total) and men accounted for
15 percent of the victims (120,100 total).
• The most rapid growth in domestic relations caseloads is
occurring in domestic violence filings. Between 1993 and 1995,
18 of 32 states with three-year filing figures reported an
increase of 20 percent or more.
Conclusion
It is clear from the facts collected that the solution to
averting domestic violence is in education. It is particularly
essential; to teach young people that violence is not an
acceptable answer to any problem. We must bring domestic
violence to the forefront of our society and not allow it to be
a forbidden issue. We must definitely strengthen the value of
each person in our society.
Need a custom research paper? we can write custom research papers for you!
To help those already involved in violent relationships there
must be more spotlights on the self-worth issues of the victim.
Once a victim has confidence she is more likely to leave a
violent relationship.
Economic programs must be prepared in a community in order to
take away an abuser's second biggest weapon- financial control.
There is an enormous requirement for more 'safe-houses' in
America. Domestic Violence Shelters provide a safe shelter for
women and children to escape the violence.
Lastly we must teach our school children about domestic
violence. They must be taught from an early age that violence is
never allowable and give them the tools needed to identify
domestic violence and how to get help if required.
It is understandable from all information that violence itself
cannot be the subject of mediation and that mediation is not a
substitute for counseling, education, and legal sanctions. This
led to the clearest guideline, that no criminal cases involving
domestic violence should be referred to mediation. The violent
act or acts must be dealt with through the actual court
procedure in order to highlight the gravity of the act and the
fact that domestic violence, where proved, is indeed against the
law.
Need a custom research paper? we can write custom research papers for you! |
