Definition of domestic violence.
Definition of domestic violence
Domestic violence does not just relate to married same sex couples. It can and does affect people who have been girlfriend and boyfriend but are no longer together, it applies to couples in same sex relationships, and also cohabitating couples, it also applies to children.
What is domestic violence?
* Domestic violence is basically about the misuse of power and the exercise of control by one person over another within the context of any intimate or close relationship. Such abuse may manifest itself in a variety of ways including physical violence, emotional or psychological abuse, sexual violence and abuse, financial control and abuse and the imposition of social isolation or movement deprivation.
* More often than not domestic violence includes threats of violence, threats of suicide, or threats to take the children from the abused person. It may also include breaking objects, hurting pets, abusive language, sexual abuse, driving recklessly to endanger or scare the abused person, isolating family members from others, and controlling access to money, cars and credit.
* The full extent of domestic violence is unknown. So much violence of all types goes unreported. The best sources tend to be police records but these are notoriously unreliable, especially in the case of private crimes. However, there does seem to be agreement between a number of different sources, which suggest that assault of women by their partners is by far the most common form of family violence. (JUKES, 1999)
The facts
· Fewer than 35% of violent attacks in the home are reported to the police
· Two women a week are killed by a male partner or former partner
· Nearly half of all murder victims are killed by a partner or former partner (THE GUARDIAN, 22/12/03)
> Different research studies have tried to estimate the proportion of the population who experience domestic violence each year. These can range from under 1%, up to roughly one in ten of the adult female population. The broad variation is because the studies have been undertaken for different reasons, have used different methodologies, and drawn upon different definitions of domestic violence. There are however similarities in the patterns of physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse that they uncover.
> The estimates for lifetime prevalence of abuse by a partner or ex-partner tend to cluster closer together, with most studies suggesting that one in four adult women will experience domestic violence at some point in their lives. (See fig 1)
> Men also experience abuse within their relationships, but they are less likely to report being hurt, frightened or upset by what has happened. They are also less likely to be subjected to a repeated pattern of abuse.
> Research suggests that there are children aged 16 or under in half the households where there is domestic violence. The average number of children per household is two: this means that domestic violence affects the lives of roughly the same number of children as adults within the UK
> Just under half of people experiencing domestic violence will tell a relative or friend what has happened to them: when applied to the population of England, and Wales, on a lifetime prevalence estimate, these friends and family represent in excess of 3.6 million people - or one in twelve of the adult population
We know something about the prevalence and incidence of domestic violence but we know much less about the proportion of people who are abusive. Mooney found that nearly 1 in 5 men admitted to having used violence against their partner or ex-partner at least once, with only 37% claiming that they would never act violently. (See fig 2) (DomesticViolence Data, 18/12/03)
Attitudes
· 1 in 5 young men and 1 in 10 young women think that abuse or violence against women is acceptable. (Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust, 1998, from Women's Aid Federation of England Domestic Violence Statistical Fact sheet - 2002)
THE HISTORY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Sociological consideration of violence within domestic settings, or between family members, has been largely ignored until relatively recently. There seem to be a number of possible explanations for this oversight:
> Domestic violence was simply not defined as a problem area. Violence was not defined in such a way that it was seen as a cause for concern. The control of women, by men, was accepted as the way things were, and were accepted as such. Both patriarch and the Jewish/Christian theological tradition supported male dominance of women. Simply put, what we presently call domestic violence was in the past seen as an unremarkable aspect of conjugal relationships. In other words our values are not the same as the values of past generations.
> Until recently ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
> Domestic violence was simply not defined as a problem area. Violence was not defined in such a way that it was seen as a cause for concern. The control of women, by men, was accepted as the way things were, and were accepted as such. Both patriarch and the Jewish/Christian theological tradition supported male dominance of women. Simply put, what we presently call domestic violence was in the past seen as an unremarkable aspect of conjugal relationships. In other words our values are not the same as the values of past generations.
> Until recently most sociologists were male. Perhaps such researchers were more easily duped by the idealized myth of the family. They could not identify the gap between ideology and reality. Now research into the causes and extent of domestic violence is mainly spearheaded by female sociologists.
> The predominant explanation of domestic violence is difficult for many people to come to terms with. The prime sociological explanation, in keeping with such explanations generally, avoids the personal and the biological, and places the blame firmly on male sexuality and male socialization. Men, all men, are therefore seen as potentially violent.
> The family was seen as part of the private sphere and not open to state intervention. (BILTON ET AL 2002)
. Recognition of violence towards women
In the past twenty years, in particular since gender-based violence was first recognized as a development issue at the United Nation's Decade for women's meeting of 1985, women's and individual activists across the worlds have campaigned strongly against abuses such as rape, wife-beating, sexual slavery and sexual harassment. Countries such as USA, Zimbabwe, France, Brazil, and the Philippines have seen the problem, which is raised onto the political agenda, at both local and national level. Shelters for abused women and their children have been set up, in addition there has been an increase in counselling and education to encourage women and girls to speak out about abuse. New laws have also been implemented to protect women's rights. However, all over the world, violence against women is still very much a hidden problem, the magnitude of which is very much underestimated everywhere. Male violence is an underlying experience that unites women across barriers of race, culture and class throughout the world. (BERRY, 2000)
HIDDEN VICTIMS
Feminists argue that domestic violence is one of the archetypal 'hidden crimes' that is not regarded as a serious offence. Surveys done with the help of sufferers of domestic violence have consistently identified it as the single largest category of assaults.
* The 1998 British Crime Survey estimated that women had been victims of over 580 000 domestic violence incidents in 1997, a year in which the total number of officially recorded cases of violence against a person had been just 250 827.
* On 28th September 2000,a number of service providers in the UK, including the police, Victim Support, Refuge and Women's Aid, were asked to count the number of times people contacted them regarding domestic violence. That one day alone, the police received more than 1300 calls- roughly one every minute - Refuge and Women's Aid received even more calls.
* Mooney (1994) conducted a study in which 30% of women had suffered physical violence. 12 % had experienced physical violence in the previous twelve month, of whom 30% had experienced it on six or more occasions.
Because many women are unwilling to report acts of violence towards them to researchers or even to define their experiences of domestic violence, researchers of such
surveys acknowledge even estimated figures fail to capture the full extent of domestic violence. (GIDDENS 2001)
THE MEDIA
The media has been cursed and praised in recent years for their treatment of domestic violence issues. The media is a very powerful institution and can be an extremely valuable tool conveying information on services, reporting crimes and the consequences of these crimes, it can educate a broad segment of the public, as well helping to change public attitudes. The BBC, covered domestic violence in the form of Eastenders, with Little Mo, being violated against by her husband Trevor. Eastenders is a very popular soap opera , with an audience of millions per programme. After the scenes were shown the BBC, say their telephones line were inundated with calls from viewers experiencing domestic violence. (BBC.CO.UK) Little Mo was also used in the BBC's Red Nose Day, highlighting the fact that there is help out there for people who need it.
Newspapers that move stories of domestic violence to the forefront contribute to a public perception that it is an issue.
However there is a flip side, extensive media coverage cannot be ignored. Some abusers often use death threats to control and terrorize their partners, they may well use cases they have seen in the media to do this, some women reported that after the death of Nicole Brown Simpson, former wife of O J Simpson, their partners would threaten them with what happened to Nicole would happen to them if they did not 'shape up' or 'behave themselves'.
The media has often been criticized for mixing violence with sex and portraying women in inaccurate, and inappropriate ways. (DAVIES 1994)
Domestic violence and Health
It is a fact that domestic violence is one of the biggest contributors to women's health problems.
* 80% of women who had suffered domestic violence had sought help from the health services at least once.
* 18% of sufferers go to the Doctors in the first year of suffering abuse. 56% return in the second year. 31% of women do not seek help from the doctor until the third year.
* 1 in 4 women attempt to commit suicide.
* Women who are victims of domestic violence not only suffer from the injuries inflicted, but also other illnesses such as: chest pains and irritable bowel syndrome.
* Victims suffer from various forms of mental health illnesses.
* In 1996, domestic violence cost health agencies in Hackney (London) £580,000.
(Source from Women's Aid Federation England, 2002)
CHILDREN & DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
* 70% of women living in hostels reported that their children had also experienced physical violence by their partners
* The NSPCC, say a third of their child protection cases involve domestic violence
* In 90% of cases involving domestic violence, the children are in the same room or a room next door
The NCH study found 75% of mothers said their children had witnessed domestic violence, 33% had seen their mothers beaten up, 10% had witnessed sexual violence (NCH, 1994). (See fig 3)
(Women's Aid 2003)
Domestic violence and the Law
Criminal offences
Domestic violence crosses the whole spectrum of criminal offences. The following is a list of the main offences found in a domestic context:
* Murder/attempted murder
* Manslaughter
* Rape
* Indecent assault
* Grievous bodily harm/wounding
* Actual bodily harm
* Common assault
* Threats to kill
* Affray
* Threatening behaviour
* Harassment
* Blackmail
* False imprisonment
* Kidnapping
* Criminal damage
* Malicious communications
* Witness intimidation
* Obstructing the course of justice
* Conspiracy to pervert the course of justice
The police and courts now have powers to help 'victims' which are in place, the government are still trying to pass new laws in the hope of tackling the problem of domestic violence, these include:
Part 4 Family Law Act 1996
This relates to occupation of the family home and provides a series of options to family courts; particularly non-molestation orders and occupation orders. Powers of arrest must be attached if violence was used or threatened against the victim or a child. If this is not the case the court can accept an undertaking by the perpetrator not to molest, occupy and so on a breach or an undertaking is treated as a breach or a court order. Applications can be made ex-parte (that is, in the absence of the offender).
Children Act 1989
The perpetrator may now be removed from the home instead of the child. The police also have the power to arrest the perpetrator
Section 3 Protection from Harassment Act 1997
Section 3 relates to the civil remedies offered by the act (Sections 2 and 4 relate to criminal proceedings). Restraining orders can be imposed and tailored to particular circumstances. Therefore, the full extent of the harassment and behaviour needs to be ascertained. For an order under Section 3 only one instance of harassment is required, as opposed to 'the course of conduct' required under sections 2 & 4.
(West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police 2003) (See fig 4)
There are many more orders referring to domestic violence, too many to mention in this report, if you require more information, go to the West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police WEBSITE. As we can see the judicial system are now trying to tackle domestic violence and have come a long way from the days when the police regarded this problem as not theirs, and would take the perpetrator round the corner and tell them to calm down before they go back home.
WARNING SIGNS
Below are listed some warning signs that should make you wary, but rather than focusing on single acts, look for patterns of behaviour that show control, restriction and disrespect. No one should be frightened of his or her partner or prevented from making choices about their life, it is basic human right to feel safe in your own home. Remember also that abusers are often very charming and convincing to everyone - including their partners, until the abuse starts - and then they often continue to be very charming to everyone else except her. This often has the effect of making the woman think 'oh it must be me, it must be my fault', especially since the abuser is usually telling her it is. It can also make her feel awkward about telling other people because she will not seem plausible because they only know his 'nice' side.
The single biggest warning sign is:
* If he's been in a violent relationship before. Abusive men rarely change.
Don't make the mistake of thinking 'it will be different with me - she didn't treat him right'. It's also worth remembering that although there are some men who are abused, almost without exception, every abuser claims that he was really the victim.
Other possible warning signs are:
* He puts your friends down and / or makes it difficult for you to see them.
* He loses his temper over trivial things.
* He has very rigid ideas about the roles of men and women and can't / won't discuss it reasonably.
* His mood swings are so erratic that you find yourself constantly trying to assess his mood and only think in terms of his needs. A healthy relationship has give and take.
* It's difficult for you to get emotional or physical space away from him - even if you directly ask for it. And if you do get it, he 'grills' you about where you've been and whom you were with.
* He criticises you all the time - about your weight, your hair, your clothes, etc.
* He makes all the decisions in your relationship and ignores your needs or dismisses them as unimportant. (www.bbc.co.uk)
There are many common ideas about why violence occurs:
* He had a sad or difficult upbringing.
* He drinks too much.
* He has a stressful job.
* He can't control his anger.
* Something about you causes him to abuse you.
At times, we all experience stress, trauma, anger and fear. An abusive person may use these things as excuses for their behaviour, but really, they behave this way to try to control what you do. (DOBASH & DOBASH 1998)
LIFE AFTER AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
One thing every person who has ever been affected by domestic violence needs to remember, life can be good again. Many women ask such questions as: -
* Will I ever get over it?
* How can I be sure it wont happen again?
* Should I tell knew partners?
For some women it might seem now as if the abuse will dominate their life forever but this is rarely true. Over time, it will get easier until it becomes just a small part of who they are, amongst many other experiences they have had. For many women, the turning point comes when they have settled all the practical aspects of starting over so their energy can then be focused on their emotional healing. (ENGLANDER 2002)
Lifetime prevalence rates for women experiencing domestic violence
FIG 1
Incidence
* The BCS Self Report Study estimated that in England and Wales there were 6.6 million incidents of domestic assault in 1995: more than two out of every five resulted in injury. This represents almost one injury every ten seconds, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
* The survey also asked about frightening threats (an additional 7 million incidents), but did not include questions about other types of domestic violence. On that basis the figure 13.6 million may be an underestimate: it still represents just under one incident every other second
* The Day to Count in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland estimated that an incident of domestic violence occurs within the UK every six to twenty seconds
* The frequency of incidents gives some insight into the probable levels of demand on key service providers - the following estimates are extrapolations from the BCS as to the likely number of contacts in England and Wales alone:
- Social Services and local Housing Departments will both be contacted following 3% of assaults (roughly one each call every 3 minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year)
- after 1 in 10 the victim will get in touch with a nurse or a doctor (roughly one call a minute)
- 1 in 8 domestic assaults will come to police attention (slightly more than one call a minute - this estimate is echoed in the findings from the Day to Count , which monitored the actual demands on the police service for one day)
FIG 2
FIG 3
(HOME OFFICE 2003)
FIG 4
CONCLUSION
To conclude this report we can see that although the police now have more powers to deal with domestic violence, and it is now recognized as a crime, it is still a cause for concern. The crime is still very much being committed. By looking at the diagram fig 4, we can see that although 522, perpetrators were arrested but only 184 were actually charged. This needs to change in order for the perpetrators to realise that the police and courts will not put up with this kind of crime and that they no longer condone the fact that a man feels he has a right to subject his wife/partner to any kind of physical or psychological abuse.
The media could also change the way they portray men and women on the television, news, magazines etc. We need to see women portrayed as equal to not less than men, then men's attitudes to women may just change, and women may start to believe they are valued and worth much more.
Women who have and still do campaign for the rights of women also need to be given some recognition for their work, such as O B Es from the Queen, which are given regularly to sportspeople, actors and musicians.
Help for sufferers of domestic violence
KIRAN-ASIAN WOMEN'S AID-020-8558-1986
YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS-01325-466461
NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HELP-LINE-08457-023468
REFUGE NATIONAL CRISIS LINE-0990-995443
RELATE-01788-573241
SAMARITANS-08457-909090
VICTIM SUPPORT- LOOK IN YOUR LOCAL PHONE DIRECTORY
WOMAN KIND- +44(0) 207549570
WOMEN'S AID HELPLINE...0808 2000 247
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS...
BERRY D B, (2000) THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Source book Lowell House, USA
BILTON T, et al, (2002) INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY Palgrave Macmillan Ltd, London
DAVIES M, (1994) WOMEN AND VIOLENCE Zed Ltd, UK, New Jersey, USA
DOBASH E R, & DOBASH P R, (1998) RETHINKING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Sage Publication Inc, California, UK, India
ENGLANDER K E, (2002) UNDERSTANDING VIOLENCE Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc, London
JUKES E A, (1999) MEN WHO BATTER WOMEN Routledge, London, New York
INTERNET SITES...
http://www.bcc.co.uk/health/hh/behaviours
http://www.domesticviolencedata.org
http://www.guardian.co.uk
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk
http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk
http://www.womensaid.org.uk
