Running Head: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Domestic Violence
Samantha Pedri
Social work 3710
Wayne State University

Domestic Violence 2
Abstract:
A social problem is an issue that is seen more than just in a household, it is viewed from a
community, from a country, and globally. Domestic violence is a problem anyone can experience
no matter what age, race, gender, sex, sexual orientation, it does not matter who you are, it could
happen to anyone. Here is a demonstration that takes a look at the social problem of domestic
violence and what groups of people it affects, along with the services available to these groups of
people. Also, it is viewed from a global perspective from three different countries. There are
comparisons to how it is viewed in America and how it is viewed throughout history.
It is included what groups experience acts of violence and abuse and what groups are
targets of these crimes. The most important aspect is how far America has come from the way
domestic violence used to be handled compared to how it is now. There are more available
resources along with the fact it is now frowned upon to physically harm a women or man.

Definition of the Problem

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When identifying or defining domestic violence, we see a wide variety of people who are
involved and to different extents. Domestic violence once was considered, one of the most
underreported crimes, but became more widely recognized during the 1980s and 1990s
(Domestic Violence, 2008). We see that it is becoming more of a social problem, and also we
can find the resources to help this issue. Domestic violence is most commonly known to happen
between heterosexual couples, married or not, but also it is an issue between homosexual couples
or other members in a household such as kids or elderly relatives. Domestic violence ranges from
verbal abuse, sexual abuse, or other forms of mental and physical abuse. Most common forms of
domestic violence include physical abuse, sexual abuse such as rape, child abuse, incest, and
verbal abuse.
Sexual abuse is a form of domestic violence that affects someone physically and
mentally. According the American Psychological Association, sexual abuse is unwanted sexual
activity with the person responsible for using force. This includes making threats or taking
advantage of victims not capable to give permission (2003). In most cases victims and
perpetrators actually know each other, like family relations or friends. Anyone could be a victim
of sexual abuse, women and men of any age and children. Women and children are most likely to
be victims of sexual abuse. Rape, being one of the worst forms of sexual abuse, is forcing
someone to have sexual intercourse without permission most commonly reported in women and
children. According to RAINN, types of rape include acquaintance rape, partner rape, or stranger
rape. Acquaintance rape involves someone the victim knows, partner rape would be performed
by the victims current partner, married or not, previous partners, or co-habitator, and last
stranger rape would be performed by someone unknown or has no relation (2004).

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Physical abuse includes sexual abuse but it also involves violence such as beating,
kicking, and hitting (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). The abuse is either done by a fist, force by
another body part, or objects. If using an object, it could be instances where the object is being
used to throw, used to beat, or to strangle with. There are also cases where the victim is burned
by force. This not only affects someone mentally, it could lead to a bad injury, or even murder. If
a victim fights back, force may increase and cause a major injury such as a broken bone or
fracture, or lead to death.
Psychological and emotional abuse could seriously damage an individual. Emotional and
verbal abuse is very easily done. Forms of verbal abuse would be something as simple as calling
names, yelling or screaming, or intentionally embarrassing in public. According to the United
States Department of Justice, emotional abuse could be a result of sexual or physical abuse but it
also includes the undermining of an individuals self worth (2013). Psychologically, this type of
abuse consists of manipulation, control, threats, making one feel guilty, etc (What is
Emotional/Verbal Abuse? 2007-2013). These are all acts that can affect one emotionally.
Threats go beyond the relationship, some threats involve family members, children, the victim,
and even the abuser threatens him or herself. Something that is often misunderstood is a
relationship can be abusive without physical violence, even if there is no physical damage it
cause emotion pain and scarring (What is Emotional/Verbal Abuse? 2007-2013). Emotional
abuse also often leads to physical abuse. Men, women, and children experience this from family,
their spouses, and peers.
Define as a social problem:

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Groups that are high risk of domestic violence include women, children, same sexed
couples, and even men. Women and children are very easily targeted because in most if not all
cases they are physically not able to defend themselves against a man. Young women, low
income women, and some minorities are disproportionately victims of domestic violence and
rape. Also, according to the National Organization for Women, African-American women face
elevated rates of domestic violence than white women, and American-Indian women are
victimized at a rate more than double that of women of different races (1995-2012). Women
experience abuse emotionally and physically, but also sexually. Sexual abuse for women, studies
has shown in 2003 that nine out of every ten rape victims are female. According to RAINN,
Females between the ages 16-19 are actually four times more likely than the general population
to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault (2004).
For children, growing up in a home where domestic violence is witnessed is difficult.
That is something kids live with forever. Domestic violence for children is either witnessed or
later on they are involved in. According to Ashford and Lecroy, witnessing domestic violence
can lead to a number of ill effects for children, also, In fact, children who witness abuse in the
home and children who are abused may display similar effects (2013). Children who see or are
a part of the abuse are at a greater risk for anxiety and depression. They also tend to behave in
negative ways such as fighting, bullying, lying and cheating (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). Children
not only witness domestic violence in the home, but they also become victims of the abuse. They
are very vulnerable and helpless that fighting back is not an option. Children also face sexual
abuse, such as rape or assaults of lesser degrees. Studies show according to RAINN, that 15% of
sexual assault and rape victims are under the age of twelve, 29% of that being ages 12-17, a total
of 44% being under the age of 18, and 80% under the age of 30 (2004).

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According to Nancy Knauer, The LGBT communities have been reluctant to discuss
same-sex domestic violence for fear of validating negative stereotypes and detracting from the
push for legal recognition of such relationships (1999). All relationships, including those of the
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) are at risk of domestic violence. Violence and
abuse is a term that applies to every individual, though this is a difficult topic. No matter what
the couple may be, there are still relationships that suffer from physical, emotional, and
psychological abuse. With this community, Anti-gay organizations invoke same-sex domestic
violence to bolster their assertions that homosexuality is a dangerous lifestyle and that same-sex
relationships are unhealthy, unstable, and violent (Knauer, 1999). Even though domestic
violence is a major issue in all relationships, there is only one group that supports it, and that
would include the anit-gay organizations. LGBT members, because of this reason are scared to
seek help or medical attention with truthful reasonings behind the injury. They are not only
victimized by their partner, they are victimized by society. With this, it is adding to psychological
and emotional abuse.
Even though most do not admit to it, men are also victims of domestic violence.
Domestic violence with men is not easily recognizable (Domestic Violence, 2003). There are
cases where women, or same-sex couples, physically hurt their spouse, boyfriend, etc. It may not
be that they beat them or hit them; it could also be that they throw things at them or hit them with
objects. Emotional and psychological abuse is also high for men. They can be easily manipulated
in family situations in which their wife or partner threatens them with children. The emotional
and psychological stress that is implemented is very traumatic. Men are often overlooked as
victims of domestic violence, and according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief,
men account for about 15% of the victims of intimate partner violence (Domestic Violence,

Domestic Violence 7
2003). Most men do not report these assaults because they fear that no one will take them
seriously or that they will not be believed. A lot of men are actually made fun of for admitting
being abused.
The impact on victims who are involved in domestic violence includes emotional
damage, psychological damage, also physical harm or injury, and sometimes even death.
Children who experience abuse or witness domestic violence often suffer from PTSD, Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder. This also is something that young women experience as well. This
has damaging effects on self esteem and self image as well as trust. Children may have poor or
negative behavior in the future from being victims of abuse or witnessing domestic violence in
the home. Physically it could result to the damage of body parts like breaks or fractures, also
brain damage, bruising and cuts. The worst possible outcome would be death, it could be by
murder by weapon or being beaten to death, or it could be a result of suicide for a way out of the
abuse.
Historically:
In history, around the 1550s-1800s, early settlers in America had based their laws on an
Old-English common-law that openly allows wife beating for correctional purposes. The states
then tried to get away from that law by saying that the man of the house, the husband, is only
allowed to whip his wife with a switch that is no bigger than his own thumb (The History of
Domestic Violence, n.d.). At one point in history, it was okay to beat your wife, and then later on
hit her to some degree, and then finally in 1882 Maryland became the first state to pass a law
making wife-beating a crime. With this law a man was punishable by 40 years in jail. Even with
this step forward North Carolina declared that it, Cannot be brought against a husband unless

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the battery is so great as to result in permanent injury, endanger their life or is malicious beyond
all reasonable bounds. So, this is saying you can hit your wife but just do not break skin or
break a bone.
Eventually in the late 1800s lawmakers began to enact reforms for women. This was a
turning point for women in the household and as a part of society receiving their rights to vote in
the 19th amendment. This was only the first step. Women were allowed to vote, then later laws
were passed that you were not allowed to discriminate against women in the workplace, women
shelters were opened, and eventually eligible for welfare. In history, it was okay for men to beat
their wives. Wives belonged to the kitchen and the home, cleaning and making food, and taking
care of the family. They also had children, this was basically their worth. These are the things
that women were good for, and if they misbehaved, men did not necessarily care if they hurt
them.
At one point, it was not a crime so they did not think they were doing anything wrong.
Men were the financial supporters. They made the money, so in a household they hold the most
power. They were the decision makers, were in charge, and did as they pleased. Once the man
got home from work, the wife was basically a slave to him. If she did anything wrong he had the
right to punish her. Looking at the, Rule of Thumb, when it was okay for a husband to whip his
wife with a switch no bigger than his thumb, this was something that was normal; it was a norm
for families in America. They looked at their wives as property as if they owned them. They
made the money so they had the right to treat them how they wanted.
Policies & Services to Address the Problem:

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Today in the United States there are many services available to men and women in each
state. One very common place that offers services would be DHS, Department of Human
Services. Anyone can receive services, no matter what race, ethnicity, gender, income, or sexual
orientation. Services offered by DHS would be: 24-hour crisis hotline, counseling, safety
planning, legal advocacy, childrens services, temporary food and housing, reaching out,
teaching, etc. According to Illinois Department of Human Services, these are the options given to
men, women, children, families, or couples (2013). These services are available to serve those
who are victims or who are at risk.
Over time, services have increased. Throughout history, women were viewed as objects
and it was okay to beat them. Over time though, according to YWCA, the Temperance
Movement of the 1830s became the first American reform campaign to highlight the cruelty of
domestic violence (2010). By the 1870s wife beating finally was making a move in most states
becoming illegal. Shortly after in the early 1900s, protective agencies were being created in
different parts of the country who were designed to provide legal help to abuse victims. Even
with this implemented, it was not until after the 1970s that there was state funding or federal
funding for domestic violence shelters (Domestic Violence History, 2010). In 1971 in England,
the first womens shelter was established, alongside with the United States. Today we not only
offer help at shelters, we have facilities such as DHS, hospitals, and police stations that are
willing to reach out and help. Women were and still are helped throughout these shelters that are
specifically for women and children. DHS is a great place where anywhere can seek help though
to find further services or help even if you are not a woman, and you are a battered man, or same
sexed couple.

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In society, domestic violence has become a social problem across the country. Women are
viewed more valuable now than they have in the past, and with the freedom and the rights
gained, women fight for what they deserve. Society is now beginning to see that women are
strong individuals that are empowered. The stigma we have on this is we do not see the man as
the victim. In most domestic violence cases we view the victim as the women. Men do not feel
comfortable confessing to abuse because they may not be taken seriously. They also are afraid of
judgment given because of the fact that men are not weak, especially compared to a women. In a
lot of cases men do not want to fight back to a woman because they are the first punished for
domestic violence. One hand on a woman and you are in trouble. Men fear that punishment of
prison, so if a woman hits a man, the man will not hit back and unfortunately it is seen as weak
to society. It is also feared that they losing masculinity if they allow a women to overpower
them. Many may see it as brave and gentlemen like, but to other men or to society it is weakness.
The Social Problem in a Global Perspective
Domestic violence is something that is not just here in America, it is an issue globally.
Domestic violence is not a cultural thing, so it can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone.
Looking at different countries across the globe, Mexico, Russia, and Canada are all places where
it is unfortunately an issue as well.
According to journalist Nancy Houser, One woman dies every hour in Russia as a victim
of domestic abuse (2013). Domestic abuse of women is not actually considered crimes in
Russia. Close to 14,000 women are killed each year, one every hour, by their husbands or male
partners who drink (Houser, 2013). Whether or not Russia offers services to help these women,
approximately 97% of the victims do not seek help due to the lack of faith in law enforcement,

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while 60-70% do not seek help at all (Houser, 2013). Women live in fear in Russia, believing
there was little that could be done. Russia still views women as America once had, as objects or
property. Men were the financial supporters and the women did as they said. This is how they
have always been viewed. It is not a crime to abuse a women, it is a social norm that is hardly
talked about.
Russia reports thousands of deaths and beaten women each year, and there is a reason
why. There is this stigma that in Russia, domestic violence is viewed as a private family issue
and rarely ever seen as an issue that should be taken into the hands of someone else. According
to Claire Bigg, law enforcement does little to assist victims or investigate these crimes, and have
high cost for services of a lawyer, since victims of domestic violence are not entitled to a free
lawyer (Bigg, 2005). However, even though Russia still lacks a systematic approach to domestic
violence, they have called on the federal authorities to take decisive measures to tackle the issue.
Services lack for domestic violence, Moscow itself does not have a single shelter for women, the
closest facility lies in the citys outskirts, but only women living in the area have access to it
(Bigg, 2005). They have shelters for protection and a safe environment but in order to take
action, they still struggle to find help easily.
In Mexico, domestic violence is a heavily known issue as well. According to Katherine
Baldwin, the most heavily populated city in the world, Mexico City, only has one shelter for
battered women (2012). Also, to be admitted to the shelter, a woman must show real evidence
that she is in the process of filing a legal claim against her partner (Baldwin, 2012). So, if you are
being beaten by your husband, you cannot go to a shelter to seek protection unless you have the
law involved already, and in most cases sometimes that is too late. In Mexico, violence against

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women is out of the mainstream concerns of the medical field (Baldwin, 2012). In past years
violence was hardly ever spoken about, but within the last thirty years the medical attention has
increased, at first mainly on child abuse, but also on domestic violence. Although domestic
violence is still underreported it is not treated (Baldwin, 2012). Just as Russia views women,
Mexico also believes that a womens role is to stay at home doing house work. They cook, clean,
and take care of the children. Their worth is little because they do not support anyone financially
in most cases. Mexico is one of the worst places for women to live, based on sexual attacks on
migrant women and unresolved murders adding to its poor ranking. In America, women were
once viewed as the house maids who raised children, and now a lot of women are hard working
mothers and the relationship between partners is very equal. In Mexico they still view them as
the maid.
According to the Canadian Womens Foundation, Canada is a country where domestic
violence crimes are falling, Canada still has a high experience rate, that women have at least
experienced some form of physical or sexual violence. In most cases in Canada women are the
main target of domestic violence (2013). They have made the same movement that America has
made, the way they look at domestic violence and the way they view women. Women are now
more than a house maid and domestic violence is a huge issue. Women are working class
employed workers and do more than just raise children, cook, and clean. Domestic violence is
still an issue, although crimes have been declining. Women are the main target but men are also
victims as well. Men are also not abusive to their families, it is just reported that when there is a
domestic dispute in the household, the victims are women (The Facts About Violence Against
Women, 2013). There are plenty of services provided to men, women, and children in Canada.
There are shelters for women and children, and services available to men, and they have

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foundations specifically for the issue funding for shelters. They also have resource centers to
help get specific sources a family or individual needs.
The Impact of Social Perceptions:
Through media and in society this issue is viewed just as we are educated. It is a social
problem that has happened in history, and even though we are slowly evolving from the way
things were years ago it still continues to be a common social problem. On the news we hear
about how men abused their wives, how wives are murdered, and how children are beaten and
neglected due to family violence. We also hear how wives murder their husbands, how they
abuse them, and how they lose their children due to neglect and abuse. The media targets women
as the main victims but does not shy away from the fact that men too are victims of this crime.
Men do not normally reach out for help in fear that they will lose masculinity
Celebrities are obviously a main part of media and not only do we hear about them in the
news we hear about them on entertainment television shows, magazines, and news articles. Just
recently, Emma Roberts was in the news for getting into a physical altercation with her boyfriend
celebrity Even Peters, and she was arrested for the incident. Also, someone who was publically
harassed for domestic violence is Chris brown who physically abused pop star Rihanna. Other
Famous celebrities known for abusing their partners are Tiger Woods, Charlie Sheen, and Mel
Gibson. Female celebrities that have overcome being victims of domestic violence would be
Rihanna, Robin Givens, and Tina Turner. Halle Berry also experienced domestic violence in the
family; she witnessed her mother being abused by her father. Celebrities have a way of gaining
the attention of the nation. Although it is frustrating seeing celebrities on the news so often, it is
great to know that these are problems even celebrities face and it is in the media as a negative

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thing. They are taking a stand in empowering women. CNN and dateline are shows that show
these stories of abuse and murder, the manipulation, and the crimes at hand. You see men and
women, also families, fighting the struggle of domestic violence. Also, Lifetime Movie Network
shows examples of true life events that occur based on domestic violence.
Through social media we hear about the issues but we do not hear how to treat it, how to
handle it, or how we can stop it. Media needs to start publically making PSAs, because there
needs to be a bigger awareness of the issue. There is a show that airs on Teen Nick called
Degrassi that hits on social problems such as rape, alcohol, self harm, etc. This show at the end
of each episode explains how you can get help and if you know someone in trouble how you can
help them. There needs to be more television shows that provide these because right now our
social media is completely irresponsible with what they are providing to its viewers. Also
Degrassi is only focusing on a specific demographic. We need to know that celebrities are
experiencing these things too and how they are being helped. Also, we as a society need to know
it is okay to get help and they are not alone. Thats what media needs to expose to people.
Perception is everything, and what people see and hear is what needs to be addressed
first. Society cannot forget or undermine anything or over analyze anything as well. People see a
lot of wives or girlfriends being victims of domestic violence, and that is what is most commonly
heard of so we are in defense for women. Sometimes the others who experience domestic
violence are forgotten. Men, children, families, and same-sexed couples also experience abuse,
neglect, and violence and it is often over looked. When developing policies this is what needs to
be kept in mind. In the code of ethics it is stated that you cannot discriminate based on age,
gender, religion, or sexual orientation. These may be placed into laws but do people correctly

Domestic Violence 15
follow that. People need to be reminded that everyone experiences different things in life and
that there should be no judgment on the issue of domestic violence if it is a man as the victim or
same-sexed couple. Also physical or mental disabilities are forgotten in domestic violence.
People with these disabilities are victims of domestic violence simply psychologically. In most
cases they are taken advantage of, since they have little defense mechanisms so it easy to harm
them. These are issues that are overlooked due to the fact that the fight for womens rights is
such an uphill battle still being fought.
My Beliefs:
As most people would say, I am not for domestic violence. I do not stand for any form of
violence. Physical abuse, psychological abuse, or emotional abuse is disgusting to me. I do not
see where there would be any circumstances in which domestic violence or abuse is alright. No
one should be a victim of abuse whether you are a female, male, same sexed couple, a child, or
an elder. I was once a victim of domestic violence, and it was a two year fight to escape. It is a
hard battle to fight, especially when you feel alone. I was physically and psychologically abused
by a man for months. I was only physically harmed a few times, but the psychological abuse
lasted for two years. It to this day has left me in fear that a man cannot treat a woman properly. I
find it hard to open up to people and have reduced self-esteem. This can happen to anyone and it
happened to me. Of course just like many other girls, I did not do anything about it. I just ran as
far away as possible as I could. Just like many other women they do not seek help or help make
awareness of the problem. I do feel as though the media makes it known that it is frowned upon
and it is an issue that needs to stop but they do not help push people to speak up about it.
Services around me seem readily available. In my experiences I had gone to my local police

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station once and they did not help me one bit so I failed to pursue it. I now know that there are
more services out there such as Turning Pointe and Macomb Community College has a domestic
violence program that reaches out to those who need help.
Values & Ethics:
According to the Social Workers Code of Ethics we must respect, not discriminate, show
social and political action, and provide services to anyone based on gender, sex, age, sexual
orientation, and so forth (Code of Ethics, 2009). In the code of ethics it basically gives social
workers guide lines on not discriminating anyone for coming to them with a problem. For
example, if a man came to an agency and was abused by his wife, we cannot discriminate him
based on the fact he was a man abused by a woman. Also, if a man came in who were in a
relationship with another man who was abused came to an agency, a social worker cannot
discriminate against sexual orientation. This provides comfort and care for everyone no matter
what their situation may be.
The expected out come with this social problem is to eliminate it. Raising awareness is
also something that should be more of a priority. Society needs to know it is okay to seek help
and treatment, and to find a way out is possible. The outcome of this, society may never see.
Domestic violence is something that cannot be stopped, but it can be a punishable and is a
punishable crime. There are more and more resources and services available for this issue at
hand, and hopefully the resources stay available.

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