One of the most daunting social problems that the community faces today relates to domestic violence. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), domestic violence or Intimate Partner Violence refers to “physical violence, sexual violence, stalking and psychological aggression by a current or former intimate partner” (Alhabib, Nur, & Jones, 2010). It is therefore characterized by abusive, violent, or intimidating behavior present in a relationship. Several reasons are attributed to the causation of domestic violence in society. Research in the community has shown that many abusers to demand an unwanted control over their spouses due to extreme jealousy, low self-esteem, and difficulty in anger management among others. In some instances, an individual can resort to domestic violence as a way of covering for their inferiority emanating from poor education and low socioeconomic statuses. In some American communities, a pattern of patriarchy has also been witnessed where the men engage in domestic abuse because they believe that it is their obligation to control the women and punish them as a way of instilling a sense of discipline. Other societies have also demonstrated an intergenerational cycle of domestic violence especially in cases where children are exposed to this type of behavior. Domestic abuse remains a significant social problem in the community and has both negative short-term and long-term impacts on the welfare of society.
Evidence Demonstrating the Extent and Longevity
According to Project Sanctuary “Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention and Support,” approximately 20 people per minute are victims of domestic abuse. In a year, this translates to about 10 million men and women annually. http://www.projectsanctuary.org/dv/some-statistics-about-domestic-violence/. Another research conducted by The National Domestic Violence Hotline asserted that “Nearly 3 in 10 women (29%) and 1 in 10 men (10%) in the US have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by a partner and report a related impact on their functioning” (The National Domestic Violence Hotline “Get the facts and Figures”). From the two statistics, it shows that domestic violence is a continuous problem that has taken root in many American societies. Contrary to the traditional belief that women are the primary victims, the statistics have also shown that men are equally a target of the problem. Another research conducted by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control has shown that women experience approximately 4.8 million cases of intimate partner-related rapes and physical assaults per year. Despite the problem, only 20% of the battered women take the necessary steps to report the cases surrounding their abuse (Violence against Women in the United States: Statistics).
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Evidence has also shown that domestic violence has existed for more than three centuries. Before the mid-1800s, many legal systems of the world viewed wife beating not only as valid but also an appropriate exercise that stamped the authority of the husband over their wife. However, the first-wave feminism experienced in the second half of the 19 th century coupled with the political agitation initiated a change in opinion and laws regarding domestic abuse in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. The first state that outlawed wife battering was Tennessee in 1850. Other states slowly followed until the 20 th century where the police would often intervene in domestic violence cases in the US. However, arrests remained very rare. Many legal systems across the world have only remained alive to the problem of domestic violence at the beginning of the 1990s. Also, the United Nations (UN) set in to address the problem by formulating what was known as the “Strategies for Confronting Domestic Violence: A Resource Manual” in 1993 (Alhabib, Nur, & Jones, 2010). The manual urged nations across the world to treat domestic abuse as a criminal act. Therefore, this demonstrates the longevity of the problem and the steps the country has taken towards dealing with the issue.
Existing Solutions for Domestic Abuse
It is important to note that domestic violence has far-reaching consequences that can harm a whole generation. Therefore, it is in this regard that different stakeholders have different steps in a bid to stop the social problem. As previously stated, the UN was the first international body in line to lobby countries across the world to treat domestic violence as a crime. In 1994, organizations such as the Legal Momentum and the Feminist Majority ensured that the Violence Against Women Act was passed, a law that aimed to address some of the most debilitating issues affecting women such as abuse. Therefore, this shows that a primary step towards resolving the problem is to create laws that will criminalize domestic violence. Alhabib, Nur, & Jones, (2010) asserted that the Violence Against Women Act in conjunction with other laws such as the Domestic Abuse Act of Minnesota continues to prevent domestic violence and putting stringent measures for perpetrators. The second solution to the growing problem of domestic violence is the need to create hotlines lines for victims to report. Law enforcement and other humanitarian bodies have created hotlines numbers where victims are required to make a call whenever they experience a domestic abuse incident. As such, this allows the law enforcers and emergency response teams to respond appropriately and prevent any damages that might result from abuse.
According to the CDC,all forms of domestic abuse are preventable. In this regard, one of the most commonly used strategies in stopping the intimate partner violence includes the promotion of healthy behaviors in intimate relationships. As such, communities have various programs that teach young individuals essential skills such as problem-solving and communication skills that can eventually prevent the onset of violence. The states and communities have also taken various steps in a bid to end the problem of domestic abuse in society. Since evidence has shown that intimate partner violence can start as early as childhood after exposure, communities are more concerned with exposed children in their bid to break the vicious cycle of domestic violence in the society. Individuals are further taught on the signs of domestic violence to ensure that they are cognizant of the behavior as soon as it starts. Many communities have also begun a program that aims at teaching both men and women of the importance of developing a respectful and healthy relationship towards each other at home.
Several institutions created in the community such as by the church help in counseling couple through pastoral or peer counseling means. Once families are shown better methods to resolve their disputes, they are able to exploit it hence creating a foundation for future engagements. The churches, for instance, have played a vital role in building strong familial foundations and leveraging out-of-court problem-solving that is devoid of any form of confrontation. Johnson, (2010) opined that pastoral counseling provides an outlet for each member of the relationship to air their problems, and the counselor has an opportunity to find a common solution for both parties. Peer counseling sessions are also equally important because they provide families with essential values that could hold them together. Lastly, women continue to engage in feminist campaigns aimed at mitigating the misogynic perceptions created in the minds of certain men in society. Once men and women view each other as equal parties, they develop a sense of mutual respect for one another hence leading to peace and long-lasting harmony between the two parties.
Social Institutions and Their Role in Domestic Violence
The cultural institution has significantly helped in perpetuating the social problem of domestic violence. The American society, just like any other, has been known for its patriarchal and misogynic tendencies. The man was given an undue privilege and power over the women. As demonstrated in the history of domestic violence, wife battering was accepted as part of the society since it was viewed as a genuine measure to instill discipline in women. In many communities, women were least educated and mostly left at home to take care of domestic needs. As such, this predisposed them to unnecessary violence due to the numerous vulnerabilities that came with their societal position. Until today, many American communities believe in patriarchy and a kind of dominance that gives the man authority over the woman thus enabling them to perpetrate violence.
The legal factor has also played a vital role in facilitating the rise of domestic violence. Before the 1990s, lackluster laws had been created in a bid to mitigate the many cases of intimate partner violence. However, no significant arrests were made in this regard. The lack of clear laws against domestic violence for almost a century has meant that domestic violence was a technical legal practice that could be perpetrated by any individual without any repercussions. It was not until the 1990s when the UN started encouraging countries to adopt laws that would warrant domestic abuse a breakage of the law or a criminal act. The adoption of the Violence against Women Act meant was the first step towards creating a society where violence against women was viewed through the lenses of criminality (Hanmer & Itzin, 2013). Also, the lack of political goodwill during the last century was a primary factor in facilitating the rise of domestic violence.
Familial factors also played a vital role in domestic violence. First, family members especially the couple experience a plethora of problems during their lifetime that could arise from a wide array of factors. Without proper channels of solutions, domestic violence is viewed as a strategy in addressing some of the most debilitating issues that the family could be facing. The intergeneration sequence of domestic abuse could also be seen through the lenses of familial factors. Hanmer and Itzin (2013) noted that once a child is exposed to violent parents, they are likely to carry similar traits and use them once they establish their own families. The cycle will continue thus creating a society that believes in violence. Therefore, familial factors have also played a vital role in the rise in domestic violence.
Lastly, educational forces have significant input in the prevalence of the intimate partner violence. As stated, a lack of education can make a partner in marriage insecure and thus causing them to resort to violence as a way of resolving their insecurities. Secondly, surveys have shown that domestic violence is common in families that have lower levels of education compared to the well-educated ones. Education plays a vital role in shaping attitudes and increasing values that would, in turn, help a person solve their problems without necessarily engaging in unnecessary acts of aggression.
Conclusion
In conclusion, domestic violence remains one of society's biggest problems. It is prevalent in many communities in America and has remained a major issue for many centuries. Some of the causes include patriarchy, a lack of education, familial problems, and the intergenerational transmission of violent attitudes among others. Some of the methods used to resolve the issue include the creation of anti-violent laws, activism, education and training, and installing hotlines for reporting among others. With such, there is hope that domestic violence will soon be eliminated and better ways to solve conflict adopted by every member of the society.
References
Alhabib, S., Nur, U., & Jones, R. (2010). Domestic violence against women: Systematic review of prevalence studies. Journal of Family Violence, 25(4), 369-382.
Berns, N. S. (2017). Framing the victim: Domestic violence, media, and social problems. Routledge.
Hanmer, J., & Itzin, C. (2013). Home truths about domestic violence: Feminist influences on policy and practice-A reader. Routledge.
Johnson, M. P. (2010). A typology of domestic violence: Intimate terrorism, violent resistance, and situational couple violence. Upne.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline “Get the facts and Figures” https://www.thehotline.org/resources/statistics/
Violence against Women in the United States: Statistics https://now.org/resource/violence-against-women-in-the-united-states-statistic/
