Domestic Violence against Women in the United States

Background information to the study 

Domestic violence (DV) is the dominant known form of violence against women worldwide and different studies approximate that between 10 and 35 percent of women undergo domestic violence at a particular point in their lives. As such, domestic violence against women is an international issue with no geographic, social, cultural, economic, national or religious boundaries and is well thought-out one of the most solemn human rights’ violation. It is an occurrence that is widespread which never discriminate based on ethnicity, religion, language or race (Chitashvili, Javakhishvili, Arutiunov, Tsuladze, & Chachanidze, 2010). In this context, Saffari, Arslan, Yekaninejad, Pakpour, Zaben, and Koenig (2017) defines domestic violence as form coercion, violence, control, threat, or abuse that may occur in private lives of individuals who are related like family members or intimate partners. On the other hand, violence against women (VAW) is a DV category, which is defined as any gender-based act of violence resulting in sexual, physical, or mental injury or women suffering. These includes coercion, threats of such acts, or arbitrary liberty deprivation, whether taking place in private or public life (Saffari, Arslan, Yekaninejad, Pakpour, Zaben, & Koenig, 2017). 

This problem (domestic violence against women) as a social issue has severe consequences affecting not only the emotional and physical health, and social welfare of the victims, but also has a substantial impact on family, children, and society in general. Such effects may take the form of depriving women of their right to take part in the overall societal life and holds women prisoners under the exceptional conditions that immediate social setting like kinship, values, family and social norms set (Chitashvili, Javakhishvili, Arutiunov, Tsuladze, & Chachanidze, 2010). Jahromi, Jamali, Koshkaki, & Javadpour (2016) add that besides the physical harm, studies indicate that victims of DV may suffer from sexually transmitted diseases, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, a felony, drug abuse, stress, and thoughts of suicide. It may even lead to death in the extreme cases after the incidents. Additionally, it affects health and reproductive quality of the victims such as increased spontaneous abortions. 

According to Jahromi, Jamali, Koshkaki, and Javadpour (2016), the prevalence of VAW continue to escalate and is becoming a significant issue in many countries, both developing and developed nations with an increase in mortality and incidence every year. Studies revealed that 30 percent of women in America are subject to husband physical violence- 40 percent of these women receive beatings from their husbands even when they are expectant. The research also indicated that in the US, 38.5 percent of women who have been violence victims, were killed by their husbands. Additionally, despite efforts by the United States General Assembly and other organizations to achieve human rights for all women such as; “Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women” (DEVAW) and “Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women” (CEDAW), VAW is still rampant (Saffari, Arslan, Yekaninejad, Pakpour, Zaben, & Koenig, 2017). As such, due to the detriments, VAW has on the victims, combating it will be of great significance to address the negative health impacts and promote equal human rights for all women. Therefore, data relating to the causes, effects, and prevalence of DVAW should be well documented to assist in developing strategies for combating DVAW. It is within this milieu that this paper aims to identify the general factors that contribute to the prevalence of DVAW in the U.S. 

Statement of the Problem 

Drawing from Khurram (2017) research, gender equality is deliberated as a vital human right and an economic requirement for social justice and development, thus, an important goal to achieve. VAW remains the most pervasive human rights violation, and it continues to impact the lives of millions of girls and women negatively. In fact, VAW is propagating with trendy factors, and most of the women do not or are afraid of reporting these cases. As a result, it has become an area of interest to most researchers. As such, a variety of individual quantitative and qualitative studies have been done in different nations including Pakistan and Iran to identify causing factors od DV against women, many of which reveal limitations regarding reports surveyed and analyzed. Some studies have also centered their research on the causes and effects of VAW on specific states such as Georgia. None of the studies have concentrated on the general factors contributing to the prevalence of DVAW in the whole of America, which will be useful in devising combating strategies. This study, therefore, attempts to identify general factors contributing to DVAW prevalence in the U.S. 

Review of Literature 

Many studies have been done on the field of DV revealing various findings. First, Ostadhashemi, Khalvati, Seyedsalehi, and Emamhadi (2015) conducted descriptive research on the Domestic Violence against Women: A Qualitative MetaSynthesis. The study findings documented that the lived experiences of individuals of physical violence in Iran encompassed drug abuse, patriarchy, lack of proper communication skills between partners, inappropriate sociability, lack of mental stability of men, and ignorance of the couple’s sexual and mental needs. The study also reported inefficient and inactive tactics such as keeping quiet, filing complaints, intercourse deprivation and revenge. Second, research by Chitashvili, Javakhishvili, Arutiunov, Tsuladze, and Chachanidze (2010) on National research on domestic violence against women in Georgia revealed education level, residence place, earning potential and marital status were the factors significantly linked to physical and sexual domestic violence against women. The women reported were mostly the age group of 24-31 and 35-44. 

Third, Khurram (2017) conducted a study on Factors that contribute to the violence against women in Karachi, Pakistan. The researchers interviewed a total of 22 participants from lower, upper and lower class women. The study documented male dominance, interference from family members and outsiders, harassment, differences of religious caste, dowry and extramarital affair (within upper and middle class) as the common causes of VAW among those classes. Besides, lack of education, poverty and women’s patience against abuse were the most cited factors for DV among lower-class women. 

Jahromi, Jamali, Koshkaki and Javadpour did another study (2016) on the “Prevalence and Risk Factors of Domestic Violence Against Women by Their Husbands in Iran.” The results showed that the prevalence of sexual, emotional and domestic violence was 18.6%, 44.6%and 16.4% respectively, and was associated with the age of husband, marriage length, low level of women education, and low level of husband education were the most significant risk violence factors. Additionally, research by Saffari, Arslan, Yekaninejad, Pakpour, Zaben, and Koenig (2017) on “Factors Associated with Domestic Violence against Women in Iran: An Exploratory Multicenter Community-Based Study.” The study indicated that sexual (18%), physical (28%), and emotional (64%) were the most prevalent forms of domestic violence against women. Higher education, partner employment status, and lower children number lowered the risk, while substance abuse, lower socioeconomic status, unstable marriages, previous marriage history and crowded family condition increased the DV risks. 

Independent and Dependent Variable 

Domestic violence is the dependent variable because it is the issue that I am interested in measure/study in this research, it cannot be manipulated, and it responds to the effects caused by independent variables. On the other hand, the general factors in this study are the independent variables since I can control or manipulate them, and all of them affect (either increases or decreases) domestic violence, which is the dependent variable. 

Hypothesis 

H1: Most of the domestic violence against women in the U.S. results from extramarital affairs and education level of both partners. 

Population/sample 

This research will be performed on a representative population sample of married women aged 18 to 75 years living across all the countries of the U.S between 2013 and 2018. The research will mainly use secondary data of the previous researches done on domestic violence against women in all the states across of the U.S. 

Research Design 

The study will employ descriptive research design based on metasynthentic analysis technique for qualitative studies in the domestic violence against women field. Then, the previous research study will be achieved by systematic review and meta-synthesis. Ostadhashemi, Khalvati, Seyedsalehi, and Emamhadi (2015) defines metasynthesis as a unique method of studying and analysis of secondary previous qualitative researches. In to conduct systematic review and metasynthesis of qualitative studies, the first step will be to search for the keywords like domestic violence, wife abuse, sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, and physical and sexual abuse will be searched on the database for Scientific Information. Then, 50 articles written from 2015 to 2018 that dealt exactly with DV in views of women, experts and men with qualitative data will be designated for secondary analysis regarding their findings in causes or factors of DVAW. Then, simple logistic models of regression and categorical analyses using data of weighted survey from the previous research review will be conducted using descriptive and SPSS software to present the factors contributing to the prevalence of DVAW in the U.S. 

Data Collection Method 

Data will be collected through the internet search of scholarly sources of previous research related to DVAW in the U.S. countries like Georgia, Texas, and New York among others. The research will use at least 50 articles written from 2015 to 2018 which dealt precisely with the issue of DV from every state in America. 

References 

Chitashvili, M., Javakhishvili, N., Arutiunov, L., Tsuladze, L., & Chachanidze, S. (2010). National research on domestic violence against women in Georgia.  Tbilisi: UNFPA Georgia . 

Jahromi, M. K., Jamali, S., Koshkaki, A. R., & Javadpour, S. (2016). Prevalence and risk factors of domestic violence against women by their husbands in Iran.  Global journal of health science ,  8 (5), 175. 

Khurram, E. (2017). Factors that contribute to the violence against women: a study from Karachi, Pakistan. 

Ostadhashemi, L., Khalvati, M., Seyedsalehi, M., & Emamhadi, M. A. (2015). A Study of Domestic Violence against Women: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis.  International Journal of Medical Toxicology and Forensic Medicine ,  5 (3 (Summer)), 155-163. 

Saffari, M., Arslan, S. A., Yekaninejad, M. S., Pakpour, A. H., Zaben, F. A., & Koenig, H. G. (2017). Factors associated with domestic violence against women in Iran: an exploratory multicenter community-based study.  Journal of interpersonal violence , 0886260517713224.