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Domestic Violence
Over the years, domestic violence has been perceived as a pattern of abusive
behaviors within an intimate relationship either by one or both partners in dating, family,
marriage or cohabitation. It usually takes a variety of forms such as emotional abuse,
social abuse, financial abuse, sexual abuse or physical abuse. In most cases, physical
abuse is perceived as the more dominant form of abuse that constitutes domestic
violence (What is Domestic Violence?). Domestic violence does not have to continue
and that creating a better awareness, law reforms and cultural education can provide
effective protection and solution to this vice.
The existence of domestic violence
The presence of domestic violence has an inclination in culture and the history of
most societies. In the early Roman law, the man was allowed to divorce, beat, and in
some instances murder his wife if the wife committed certain offences that had the
effect of besmirching his honor (Schneider). In essence, the man was cast as a judge
over his household and practiced disciplinary action based on his own discretion.
Classified under private matters, such actions were not open to public scrutiny.
Today, the existence of domestic violence is therefore an extension of what has
been happening since time immemorial. In essence, the earlier time aspersions of the
man being dominant still exist while at the same time, the law enforcement agencies
have depicted the woman as an equal partner in marriage, leading to a social
confrontation between the partners. The advent of civilization has introduced various
social and political constrains leading to the forms of violence that exist today. Cefrey,
postulates that economic challenges have led to financial domestic abuse, social
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challenges and lifestyles have yielded social and emotional domestic abuse while
frustrations exert physical domestic abuse (53).
Who suffers the most?
Following the practice of domestic violence, there exists two categories of
individuals. That is, the abuser and the abused. Irrespective of the gender, the abuser
would instill fear, physical emotional or even psychological harm to the abused. Under
these categories, Children (girls) and women tend to experience more suffering as
compared to their male counterparts (boys and men) (Davis 7).
The children who are brought up in the families that there exists domestic
violence therewith are 15 times more likely to be abused hence child abuse within these
families. On the same note, Schneider and Dalton notes that men brought up in families
where domestic violence exists are more likely to abuse their own wives and children
with a chance that they will be 1000 times more likely to become wife beaters (16). As
such, it is therefore clear that while the men have a tendency to exhibit masculinity and
an aggressive nature towards the women and children, the women experience fear and
in most instances physical abuse from their male counterparts.
Despite the men being the more common aggressors, there exist exceptions.
Psychological domestic violence has been traced to affect men more since for instance,
where the man is constrained from seeing his friends (Davis 8). Where society places
the man as a sole provider, lack of a job would constitute psychological torture. In the
end, there lies the issue of both quality and quantity in form of domestic violence (Davis
9). For instance, while the women and the men would get more of quantity in form of
how many times an abuse instance occurs, the children bear the blunt of the quality.
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This is so because children are to grow and develop in such an environment and hence
such instances would shape their entire lives.
Avoiding Domestic Violence and Possible Solutions
The possibilities of avoiding and solving this problem today are better advanced
than they were before. For instance, creating a better awareness and a better
understanding for the challenge for both the men and the women would go a long way
in resolving this challenge. Today, men appreciate the fact that dominance doesnt
necessarily imply instilling fear while at the same time, sharing of power between
couples serves to ease the process of living together harmoniously thus eradication of
violence (Summers and Hoffman 10).
Law reforms are another avenue that can be used to resolve this problem.
Traditionally, the man has been cast as the only possible aggressor but trends today
indicate otherwise. Men also need protection and therefore, the law should be carved in
a way to protect everyone from potential aggressors irrespective of their gender.
(Schneider and Dalton 18).
Cultural education is also another aspect which has had a great influence on the
existence and continuance of domestic violence (Summers and Hoffman 17). Each
countrys culture reflects societal norms that affect the laws of the land. Social policy
therefore emanates from cultural disposition. There ought to be cultural education so as
to ensure a stable transition from the past to the future where traditional laws which are
oppressive are disregarded to build a more stable and secure future.
Conclusion
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While discretion should be practiced by individuals in determining who they relate
with, it is also incumbent upon the different individuals to practice humility and abide by
natural law. Where an individual suddenly becomes abusive to the partner or the
children, the offended should exit from the relationship and if need be obtaining
domestic violence protection orders can be effective (Summers and Hoffman 5). Such
actions would not only prevent harm from being inflicted on the subjects but also it will
gradually kill such behavioral patterns. Domestic violence as discussed above surely
does not have to continue and that creating a better awareness, law reforms and
cultural education can provide effective protection.
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Works Cited
Cefrey, Holley. Violence and Society Domestic Violence. New York: Rosen Publishing
Group.2009 .print
Davis, Richaed L. Domestic Violence: Facts and Fallacies. Westport, CT: Praeger,
1998. Print.
Schneider, Elizabeth M. "Violence against women Act (1994): Further Reading." Web.
30 Dec. 2012.
Schneider, Elizabeth M., and Dalton, Clare. Battered Women and the Law. New York:
Foundation Press, 2001. Print.
Summers, Randal W., and Hoffman M. Allan eds. Domestic Violence; a global view.
Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002. questia. Web. 30 Dec. 2011.
"What is Domestic Violence?" The Hotline. National Domestic Violence Hotline, n.d.
Web. 27 Dec. 2012.