Domestic Violence: What You Need to Know

Abstract 

Although the cases of domestic violence have reduced in the 21st century, they still exist in some countries. Domestic violence mostly affects women, since most societies tend to favor male privilege. Some female victims avoid reporting instances of domestic since law enforcement officers do not take their complaints seriously. Some of the countries that experience domestic violence include the US, New Zealand, India, Turkey, and Egypt. This review will compare the incidences of domestic violence in the countries. 

Present-Day American Society and Domestic 

There is a high prevalence of domestic violence in the US, and it affects more women than men 

Rape 

Rape is the leading case of domestic violence in the US. According to a recent survey, every one in five women and one in seventy-one men in the US has been a victim of rape (National Coalition against Domestic Violence [NCADV], n.d.). Their acquaintances raped the majority of the victims. A significant percentage of female rape victims faced experienced sexual abuse from their intimate partners. 

Stalking 

The second leading incident of domestic abuse is stalking. About 19.3 million women and 5.1 million men in the US claim to have been stalked (NCADV, n.d.). Women are the most affected by this problem. About 60.8% of women claimed that the current or former partner had stalked them (NCADV, n.d.). Feelings of inferiority and jealousy mostly drive stalking. 

Homicide 

Homicide has been among the pressing issues in the US. A recent study revealed that about 20% of the victims were killed by family members, friends, neighbors, and law enforcement responders (NCADV, n.d.). Notably, the majority of the victims are women. About 72% of homicides involve an intimate partner harming and killing a woman (NCADV, n.d.). These cases can be due to anger issues or personality disorders. 

Emotional Abuse 

This issue involves issuing threats and critiquing a victim to undermine their self-confidence. It can also entail dismissing a victim’s opinions by insisting that they are mentally unstable (NCADV, n.d.). At times, the victim may not know that they are being abused and hence the reason for a few reported cases. 

Summary 

The incidences of domestic violence are still in the US despite the involvement of the law enforcement agents and stricter laws against these vices. Rape, stalking, homicide, and emotional abuse are among the common incidences. While men are victims of domestic violence, the incidences disproportionately affect more women. 

Present-Day New Zealand Society and Domestic Violence 

New Zealand has recorded one of the highest incidences of domestic and family violence in the past few years 

Sexual Violence 

Women are mostly affected by sexual abuse from their partners. A recent study shows that one in every three women experience sexual violence from their intimate partner in their lifetime (Family Violence It’s Not Ok, n.d.). Sexual violence can be rape or assault. 

Homicide 

Among the highest incidences of domestic violence in New Zealand is homicide. Family members perpetrate about half of the cases (Family Violence It’s Not Ok, n.d.). However, the majority of the incidences are never reported to law enforcement agencies. 

Emotional Abuse 

In New Zealand, emotional abuse refers to the act of exposing children to domestic violence or controlling someone’s movement. It is one of the rising cases of domestic violence in the country (Family Violence It’s Not Ok, n.d.). Family abuse is common in New Zealand. 

Stalking 

Stalking mostly affects women. However, children have also reported being stalked by a family member (Family Violence It’s Not Ok, n.d.). These incidences have an impact on the victim’s emotional well-being. 

Notably, New Zealand has high cases of domestic violence. Male family members perpetrate most of these incidences. Unlike in the US, the majority of the victims do not report cases of domestic abuse. 

Present-Day Turkey and Domestic Violence 

Turkey continues to experience significant incidences of domestic violence aimed at women, and most of the cases are connected to the low socioeconomic status. 

Sexual Violence 

In Turkey, rape and sexual assault are among the leading forms of sexual violence. About 61% of women have experienced sexual violence in their lives (Basar & Demirici, 2018). Besides, the husbands or other male family members are likely to be perpetrators. 

Emotional Abuse 

Although the Turkish government tends to hide the reports on domestic violence, international organizations reveal that there are incidences of emotional abuse. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 20 to 70% of women in Turkey have been a victim of emotional violence (Basar & Demirici, 2018). This number ranges, meaning the cases could be higher than the reported incidences. 

Homicide 

Domestic violence in Turkish has been on the rise in the past few years. According to law enforcement agencies, 81 were killed by family members in May alone (Karakas, 2020). The lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated these incidences. 

Stalking 

A significant of Turkish women experience stalking. Most of these incidences happen after divorce or separation (Basar & Demirici, 2018). However, compared to other forms of violence, stalking is not well-pronounced in Turkey. 

Summary 

Notably, Turkey has significant cases of sexual violence and emotional abuse. These cases continue to rise due to the presence of a biased criminal justice system. Besides, the majority of women come from low-income backgrounds making it difficult to expose these cases. 

Present-Day India and Domestic Violence 

India has one of the highest cases of domestic violence 

Emotional Abuse 

Cases of emotional abuse have increased due to the presence of the lockdown measures aimed at controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Human rights activists in India claim that women have been subjected to emotional manipulation by their husbands (Rukmini, 2020). Others are insulted at their homes. 

Rape 

The majority of women have reported incidences of rape from their intimate partners. Although women report these cases, law enforcement officers rarely respond (Rukmini, 2020). Thus, attempts to rape and rape cases continue to rise. 

Stalking 

In some homes, women claim that their husbands track their movements. If they find they find them interacting with male members, they may inflict violence (Rukmini, 2020). In India, most women are not safe. 

Homicide 

Although the cases of homicides are not as high, the attack in the form of physical violence may result in death. The law enforcement agents and judicial officials advise the victims of abuse to sort domestic issues from home (Rukmini, 2020). This approach has resulted in murder and suicides. 

Summary 

India has a high percentage of domestic abuse cases. However, the pleas of the female victims are often overlooked by law enforcement officials. This issue has encouraged different types of domestic violence cases to thrive. 

Present-Day Rural Parts of Egypt and Domestic Violence 

The people living in rural parts of Egypt tend to encourage domestic violence 

Rape 

In rural parts of Egypt, husbands have normalized the idea of forcing their wives to have sex. Besides, the majority of the women are illiterate, and thus, they do not file for complain (United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA], n.d.). The laws in this country give an edge to male privilege. 

Emotional Abuse 

In most homes, the husbands control the activities and the dressing codes of their wives. Failure to follow these instructions results in threats and abuse. 

Homicides 

In rural Egyptian societies, men are justified to beat women. More than a third of married women have experienced physical violence (UNFPA, n.d.). Some of these cases result in death. 

Stalking 

A significant number of families in rural Egypt stalk women. Although the female victims know the perpetrators, they fear reporting them since they will face retaliation. 

Summary 

Indeed, Egypt has widespread incidences of domestic violence. The country has normalized gender-based violence making it difficult for female victims to seek justice. This issue has resulted in increased incidences of sexual assault and rape and emotional abuse. 

Conclusion 

The USA, New Zealand, Turkey, India, and Egypt has significant cases of domestic abuse. Among the most predominant cases are rape, emotional abuse, stalking, and homicides. Notably, perpetrators tend to be male family members who use threats and intimidation as a means to suppress the claims of the victims. These cases continue to rise since the criminal justice system overlooks the complaints brought forth by women. 

References 

Demirci, N., & Basar, F. (2018). Domestic violence against women in Turkey. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences , 34(3), 660-665.doi:10.12669/pjms.343.15139 

Family Violence It’s Not Ok. (n.d.). Statistics. Family Violence It’s Not Ok . Retrieved from http://www.areyouok.org.nz/family-violence/statistics/ 

Karakas, B. (2020 June 15). Violence against women in Turkey during COVID-19. Middle East Institute. Retrieved from https://www.mei.edu/publications/violence-against-women-turkey-during-covid-19 

National Coalition against Domestic Violence [NCADV]. (n.d.). Statistics. National Coalition against Domestic Violence . Retrieved from https://ncadv.org/statistics 

Rukmini, S. (2020 April 18). Locked down with abusers: India sees a surge in domestic violence. Al Jazeera News . Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/locked-abusers-india-domestic-violence-surge-200415092014621.html 

United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA]. (n.d.). Gender-based violence. United Nations Population Fund . Retrieved from https://egypt.unfpa.org/en/node/22540#:~:text=Other%20data%20available%20for%20domestic,of%20Egyptian%20women%20and%20girls