Running head: Domestic violence

Domestic Violence Defined

Mariana Hidalgo
University of Texas at El Paso

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Abstract

Domestic violence is a big problem facing our communities across the nation. This paper will
provide insight and try to answer questions that communities may have on the topic. Some
questions that this paper will answer are: What is the definition of domestic violence? What
effect will it have on the public if the issue of domestic violence is not properly analyzed and
potential solutions are not provided to the public through this research? What are the statistics
surrounding the issue of domestic violence? and What are the current policies in place across the
nation surrounding the issue of domestic violence? Answers to these questions will help
communities understand the issue of domestic violence and broaden the audiences knowledge
on the subject. A survey will also be conducted in order to get a baseline understanding of what
the public knows about domestic violence to better further the audiences knowledge in specific
areas on domestic violence.

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Domestic Violence Defined

In order to learn more and understand better about this topic, we first have to answer the
question: What is the definition of domestic violence? Domestic violence can be defined in a
multitude of ways. The most common definition that comes to mind is the physical violence by a
partner or a former partner as defined by Richardson with other researchers in a 2002 study
(Richardson et al., 2002). The definition of domestic violence is usually associated with a
definition of the battering of women (Sokoloff and Dupont, 2005), as well as assault, regardless
of injury (Strauss, 1999), or even where you have an incident where one partner is abused by
another, involving both men and women as victims (Holt et al., 2008). However, the definition of
domestic violence is a little broad than just the battering of women.
Domestic violence can also be defined as financial and emotional abuse (Walby et al.,
2004), (Garcia-Moreno et al., 2006). Domestic violence can also be described as psychological
abuse (Wilt and Olsen, 1996). Or, in another sense, a pattern of coercive behaviors (Fantuzzo and
Mohr, 1999). These studies show that domestic violence does not just have one definition, but
can be broken down essentially into three categories, physical abuse, mental and psychological
abuse, or financial abuse.
Effects of Domestic Violence
Domestic abuse can have many effects on a person. These effects, however, depend on
the type of abuse. What the public has to ask though, is: What effect will domestic violence have
on the public if the issue is not properly analyzed and potential solutions are not provided to the
public through this research? Well, as stated by Heise and other researchers in a 1994 study, was
that domestic violence can become a significant public health issue, if not properly dealt with

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(Heise, 1994). Not only can domestic violence become a significant public health issue, but it
can affect the emotional and behavioral functioning of society (Wolfe et al., 2003).
Domestic violence has been shown to have a detrimental impact on employment. With
poverty and unemployment rising in a certain geographic area, a propensity for other crimes
follows it (Walby et al., 2004). This shows that if untreated and not properly analyzed, domestic
violence can have detrimental effects on a community. Now, not only can society be affected, but
the harmful effects on the individual are still present. Physical injury, mental health problems,
and complications of pregnancy are some of the health consequences that result from violence
inflicted on the victims (Richardson et al, 2002).
With these types of consequences effecting the victims, it is easy to understand why
some victims do not report their victimization. Often, it is shame, or guilt that leads to the
underreporting of these events (Wilt and Olsen, 1996). It is also effects like those stated above
that also lead to the conclusion that women who had ever experienced partner violence were
significantly more likely to report poor or very poor health than women who had never
experienced partner violence. This shows that the impact of violence on the victims has a far
deeper impact than the immediate harm caused (Garcia-Moreno et al., 2006).
Statistics Surrounding Domestic Violence
Domestic violence has such a far reaching impact on the communities that it effects, but
that brings us to the next question that readers might want to know in order to enhance their
understanding of domestic violence: What are the statistics surrounding the issue of domestic
violence? There are many statistics that surround domestic violence. However, this paper will try
to present statistics that encompass the community at large that are affected by domestic
violence. On a random survey personally conducted, there were seventy individuals that

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responded, of those seventy, approximately seventy-three percent were female with twent-seven
percent of the responders being male, with a majority in the thirty to thirty nine age range. When
asked if females and males were as likely to be victims as offenders, the responses varied with
most of the responses stating that men and women were likely to be equivalent in nature to being
victims and offenders (Mariana Hidalgo, surveymonkey.com, October 30, 2016). Another
question was asked in the survey, it asked if anyone the respondents knew have been the victim
of domestic violence. A huge majority of the responders, sixty-six percent responded stating that
they themselves, or someone they knew had been the victim of domestic violence (Mariana
Hidalgo, surveymonkey.com, October 30, 2016). This shows how widespread of a problem that
domestic violence is when just seventy people asked if they knew someone affected by this
problem stated that they do. When asked their opinion on the issue of domestic violence, a
majority of the responses said that it was a big problem, in the sixty percent rating of how big of
a problem domestic violence is, and that the domestic violence issue needed to be addressed
(Mariana Hidalgo, surveymonkey.com, October 30, 2016). It is important to know that studies
based on reviews of medical records or routine questioning of women treated in emergency
rooms reported that 4% to 6% of women had injuries clearly inflicted by spouses or partners
(Wilt and Olsen, 1996). Another study shows that based on medical records in the primary care
setting in the United States, less than 10% of women experiencing domestic violence had been
identified by doctors (Richardson et al., 2002). This shows that domestic violence has even
further reaches than expected by some. The issue of domestic violence is far reaching and effects
people of many age groups.

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However, some age groups are affected more than others. A study done in 1996 showed
that the median age of victims was 42 years for female respondents and 45 years for male
respondents. Overall, 16 percent of the respondents were younger than 30 years, 48 percent were
aged 30 through 49 years, and 36 percent were 50 years or older (Schaefer et al., 1996). It is
interesting to understand the age groups associated with domestic violence. It is also interesting

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to understand a time frame for when domestic violence events occurred. A study in 2002 found
that 23 percent of women who had ever been physically assaulted by a partner or former partner,
4 percent of the victims experienced violence within the previous 12 months (Richardson et al.,
2002). One researcher found that in the United States alone, more than 1 in 5 couples
experienced at least one episode of partner-to-partner violence (Schaefer et al., 1998). This
shows how abundant of a problem domestic violence is in the United States, if 20 percent of
couples have reported at least one episode of domestic violence.
Current Policies
With such a large percent of the nation reporting domestic violence issues, it brings us to
our final question: What are the current policies in place across the nation surrounding the issue
of domestic violence? In a survey personally conducted, there was a question asked. That
question asked if individuals in the community knew how to respond to incidents of domestic
violence. Many responses resulted, however, one response seemed to stick out. A majority of the
responses from members of the community indicated that law enforcement should be contacted
and for the victim to receive help from shelters (Mariana Hidalgo, surveymonkey.com, October
30, 2016). Now, there are many policies that are set up across the nation in order to try to contain
the issue, or even eliminate it altogether. Some communities have set up legal policies with arrest
priorities for offenders, while other communities have set up mandatory arrest and no drop
policies for offenders of domestic violence (Salazar et al., 2003). Jurisdictions across the country
have also set up policies of arrest with a 3 hour detention window and then releasing the offender
once a cool down period has been observed. The evolution of these policies depends on the
community enforcing the policies views the social problem. Policies that are set up in order to
deal with domestic violence are put into place to regulate not only the conditions of probation for

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persons found guilty of domestic violence but also which form of intervention is deemed
acceptable by the courts. It is interesting to note that in 21 states, and the District of Columbia,
arrest is mandatory when the officer determines that probable cause exists (Dutton and Corvo,
2006). So, what policy can communities implement to help lower, or even eliminate the issue of
domestic violence from them? Well, the best answer to that would be a policy that comes out of
California where domestic violence screening of patients by physicians, screening which,
according to policy, is considered a standard of care occurs (Corvo and Johnson, 2003).
Conclusion
Domestic violence is far reaching in todays society. It is a shame that so many women
become victims of this crime. Domestic violence has been categorized and defined here as
physical, mental and psychological, and financial abuse of a person. The effects of domestic
violence have been discussed, with effects ranging from the individual with mental or physical
problems relating to domestic violence, to the public health concern domestic violence poses, if
left untreated, to even the effects that domestic violence has on unemployment and the other
crimes that it can lead to if not dealt with early. Important statistics have been shared showing
that a large percentage of the population have been victims, or even treated for the crime of
domestic violence. Finally, policies that are currently in place across the nation were discussed to
inform the public about what policies, if not already enacted, can be put into place to have an
effect on the number of domestic violence incidents that take place. Domestic violence is a big
problem in many communities, but steps can be taken to reduce events that take place.

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